#NYTReadalong | Sara Hamdan (Author, “What Will People Think?”)
- Neil Parekh
- Jun 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 22
Updated with post-show content
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Our guest on Sree’s Sunday #NYTReadalong is Dubai-based Sara Hamdan. She is an award-winning writer, formerly with The New York Times and Google. Her debut novel is, “What Will People Think?”
We will be live at 8:30 a.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. GMT / 4:30 p.m. GST / 6:00 p.m. IST (Sunday morning in the US; Sunday afternoon in the UK; Tea Time(?) in the Gulf; and Sunday evening in India). If you miss the show, you can always watch the replay, right on this page.
About the Book
Sara’s book is about a Palestinian American woman in New York who is a fact checker by day / comedian by night. She lives with her conservative Arab grandparents, who don’t know anything about her comedic pursuits.
Praise for the Book
Mo Amer, the creator of the show "Mo," praised Sara Hamdan's novel, "What Will People Think?," describing it as a "refreshing story of identity, self-discovery, love, forgiveness, and the pursuit of belonging" according to Amazon.com. He called it a "timely yet timeless story that the world desperately needs."
Etaf Rum, NYT bestselling author of “A Woman Is No Man” called the book a “sharp, hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age story about chasing dreams, breaking cultural expectations, and finding the courage to own your truth…a must-read for anyone who’s ever felt caught between who they are and who they’re expected to be.”
Key NYT Articles We Discussed*
NYT Breaking News: War with Iran
Missteps, Confusion and ‘Viral Waste’: The 14 Days That Doomed U.S.A.I.D.
N.Y.C. Mayoral Primary May Hinge on Early Voters as Heat Wave Looms
Nicholas Kristof's Column on the aid that was wasted because of Elon Musk
A White Nationalist Wrote a Law School Paper Promoting Racist Views. It Won Him an Award.
The Question Dividing New Yorkers: Is the City Sinking or Bouncing Back?
New York Times Magazine: Special Issue on AI
Advertising: Full Page Ad by The Onion
NYT (Dec. 15, 2020): Pushing the Envelope Through Stand-Up Comedy [in the Middle East] or "How Sara Hamdan met her husband, Jamil"
NYT (Dec. 13, 2022): Dubai Has More Restaurants Per Capita Than New York. What’s on the Menu?
*Added After the Show
Programming Notes
Due to travel and holiday plans, we will be taking the next few weeks off. Our next show will be Sunday, July 20. See you then!
Sree’s Sunday #NYTReadalong is produced by Digimentors in partnership with Scroll and Scroll Global, one of India’s most important independent websites.
Sree Sreenivasan has been reviewing the print edition of the Sunday New York Times for nine years. Neil Parekh is the executive producer and occasional guest host.
The show is produced by Digimentors. We produce high-quality virtual and hybrid events for organizations big and small around the world. We also do social and digital consulting, training and workshops.
Neil Parekh is the executive producer and occasional guest host. If you're interested in having our team work with you, or are looking for sponsorship opportunities, please contact us through our website.
Thank you to MuckRack for your support of Sree's Sunday #NYTReadalong.
Loved the episode to bits. As a fresh person working on a thesis as well as searching for Thesis Publication Help in Canada, the journey traveled by Sara Hamdan resonated with me. Someone who can juggle all cultural expectations with her ambition reflects the battle I have in coming to terms with academics and identity. Very relatable and inspiring. The #NYTReadalong has had this wonderful conversation, and this was one to remember. I can't wait to catch the replay and read her book. Thanks for this great session!