ISSUE 76
SPRING 2003
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The articles in this issue have been divided upinto the following categories

 

 

 

 

 

Letters


I am an avid reader of The Scribe. My parents, Sabiha Abu Daoud (from the family Hakkak) and Anwar Jawaherry (previously Mariam Khan), both came from Baghdad. They raised me in "little Baghdad'' here in Melbourne and I have come to feel very proud of my rich heritage. I appreciate your efforts to keep our culture alive through your publication and wish to thank you.
I used to work as an academic, but have left the workplace in order to do what I've always wanted to do; and that is, to write about the food and culture of Iraqi Jews through the stories and recipes I've collected from my family.
My book is called FEASTS OF OLD BAGHDAD. It holds over 150 recipes and many wonderful stories to complement them. There are also intriguing descriptions of daily life in Baghdad as remembered by my parents.

I have done all paintings and illustrations for the book myself, and last March held a wonderful art exhibition where I used paintings to tell stories from the old world of Baghdad Jewry and also offered samples of the food that are in the book.
There was a great deal of media interest and the ABC await the publication of my book.
You can see samples of my art work at www.hometown.aol.com/antjwry/index.html

Although MacMillan publishers said they wanted to publish the book, they now have changed their minds. I think the main problem is that they can't get their heads around Jews and Iraq being linked. Publishers Hardie-Grant only wanted to see one chapter and then said the subject is too narrow. The response, I believe, is a result of ignorance and a publishing house too busy to scratch its nose.
At the moment I have no means of publishing the book. May I email you the first chapter? IF you like it, I could send you the full copy. You may well be interested in publishing it. It is a worthy record of a culture that has been too long ignored. If it doesn't see the light of day, that record will die in the dust.


Nita Tephaha Jawary

Nita Jawary
25 Crimea St North caulfield
VIC. 3161
Email: AntJwry@aol.com

Scribe:
We are unable to publish any books, but will agree to buy 100 copies if you find a publisher to print it.

 

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