About

The Colournary Salon presents Kamā Hiya, an intimate literary food salon exploring Palestinian and Lebanese foodways through one central question: How do we preserve culture in the face of erasure while still allowing our cuisines to breathe and evolve in new places?

Centred on food, literature and open conversation, this event brings together Lebanese-Australian journalist and author Antoun Issa, author of Rebirth: A Love Story from the Depths of War to discuss themes central to his book with Rahaf Al Khatib, founder of Palestinian café and cultural centre, Beit Siti and Falastini Food Truck. The conversation will be moderated by Sri Lankan-Australian food journalist, literary agent and founder of Colournary, Rushani Epa.

Touching on wider writing on the Levant and its diasporas, the conversation will also touch on questions of appropriation, ownership and erasure within Levantine food, asking how cuisines can be protected and shared while also allowed to evolve without losing the histories and people they come from. The aim is not a combative discussion, but a thoughtful gathering where guests can eat well, engage with literature and lived experience, and leave with a deeper understanding of both food cultures.

The event is inspired by the spirit of the literary salon as a space for critical thinking, exchange and collective reflection. After the initial panel discussion, guests will be invited to sit with what they have heard over lunch, allowing the ideas, stories and questions raised by Antoun and Rahaf to open out across the room before we return to the panel for an audience Q&A. It is a rare chance to not only listen, but to think, respond and take part in a deeper conversation on an incredibly pressing topic.

Food and drink

Guests will share a Lebanese-Palestinian lunch with food by A1 Bakery and Beit Siti, including savoury Lebanese pastries and a generous Palestinian lunch offering.

Non-alcoholic drinks are included in the ticket price, with additional drinks available to purchase on the day.
Some dietary requirements can be catered to but must be noted when booking. Please include any dietary requirements at checkout – any dietary restrictions noted two days prior to the event may not be able to be catered to.

About Antoun Issa and Rebirth

Antoun Issa is a Lebanese-Australian journalist and co-founder of Deepcut News. After completing his Master of International Relations at the Australian National University, he moved to Lebanon in 2011 where he worked as news editor for Al-Monitor during the heights of the Arab Spring. Issa relocated to Washington DC in 2015 where he spent two years at the Middle East Institute, a US thinktank, before joining The Atlantic as an editorial strategist. He returned to Australia in 2020 and worked for Guardian Australia until his departure in 2024.

In Rebirth, Antoun Issa powerfully captures his mother’s true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war.

Beirut, 1974. Laila Khalil has just come of age for marriage. The eldest of five in a poor Catholic family, Laila knows that she must fulfil her family’s expectations. But her heart is drawn to the handsome Nicolas, a coiffeur at a local hair salon. Dodging the watchful eyes in their patriarchal society, particularly those of Laila’s domineering father, the two young lovers begin a tender romance. Soon, they make plans for marriage. But Laila’s dreams are dashed when the Lebanese Civil War breaks out. Shells whir overhead as Laila’s family are caught in heavy clashes between the Phalangists and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. When tragedy strikes, Laila watches all her hopes wither to ash. But just as life seems its darkest, a lifeline presents itself: the prospect of migration to a faraway land called Australia.

Books will be available to purchase on the day through Brunswick Bound, with a selection of Palestinian and Lebanese books and cookbooks also available at the event.

Guests can also choose a ticket option that includes a copy of Rebirth. If selected, your book can be collected from Brunswick Bound ahead of the event or picked up at the event on the day.

Raffle and fundraising

A raffle will be held on the day, with proceeds split between two grassroots initiatives: mutual aid in Palestine, supporting communities directly on the ground, and Nation Station in Lebanon, a Beirut-based community kitchen and volunteer-led relief hub providing meals and support to families in need.

Raffle donors thus far include acclaimed Collingwood restaurant by chef Tom Sarafian, Zareh, beautiful culinary poster shop Food For Everyone, cult-status chilli oil brand Six-Eyed Scorpion, iconic family-run Lebanese bakery chain A1 Bakery and other generous supporters.

Raffle tickets can be purchased directly at the event, and each guest will also receive a small gift.

Tickets

• General admission: $70
  Includes entry to the salon, the panel conversation and open discussion, Lebanese-Palestinian lunch, non-alcoholic drinks and a guest gift.
   
• General admission + copy of Rebirth: $70 + book add-on
  Includes all of the above, plus a copy of Antoun Issa’s Rebirth, available to collect from Brunswick Bound ahead of the event or at the event on the day.

Guests may also add an optional donation when booking. Donations will support the event’s fundraising efforts for aid relief in Lebanon and Palestine.

Community care

Colournary is committed to creating a safe and respectful space for speakers, guests, organisers and community members. Racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, harassment, intimidation, abuse or disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated. By purchasing a ticket, guests agree to engage respectfully with the speakers, organisers, venue staff and other attendees. Colournary reserves the right to refuse entry or ask any attendee to leave if their behaviour compromises the safety, dignity or wellbeing of the space.

Mailing list

By providing your email address, you agree to join the Colournary mailing list, where we’ll share future events, editorial releases and exciting news from our relaunch. You can unsubscribe at any time.

With thanks thus far to A1 Bakery, Beit Siti, Brunswick Bound, Dukkana, Food for Everyone, Hachette, Six-Eyed Scorpion, XFLOS, Zareh, and more to come.

We can’t wait to see you there and have you join our Colournary Community.

Date

Location

Get directions

Dukkana
99-101 Harding St, Coburg VIC 3058

Contact Event Organiser