Listen and learn during our first virtual reading from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT! Artist and author Sabiha Al Khemir will read aloud, in both Arabic and English, a tale of the adventures of Kalila and Dimna—two jackal brothers whose stories of resourcefulness, friendship, and wisdom have been passed down for centuries. These lively parables are adapted for contemporary audiences and illustrated in Dr. Al Khemir’s book, Fables across Time: Kalila and Dimna. A guided art-making activity will follow the reading. Families and all ages welcome.

Watch a recording of the reading and hear Dr. Al Khemir speak more about her creative process and the meaning these stories hold for her online here.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please consider making a donation when you register to support ongoing virtual programming.

After registering, you will receive an email confirmation with Zoom instructions. Please email publicprograms@folkartmuseum.org if you have any questions.

Sabiha Al Khemir is an artist, author, scholar, and an internationally recognized expert in Islamic art. She was born in Tunisia and received a degree in English Literature from the Ecole Normale Superieure, Tunis, her MA in Islamic Art and Archaeology from London University, her PhD from London University, and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Al Khemir serves as a professor of art history and museum consultant. She has worked as a consultant and curator for a variety of institutions on numerous exhibitions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Khalili Collection of Islamic Art. Dr. Al Khemir served as the Founding Director of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha Qatar from 2006 to 2008, after previously serving as a consultant. She has written several cultural essays and two novels. In addition to Fables across Time: Kalila and Dimna, she has also illustrated The Island of Animals and numerous book covers.

Order your copy of Fables across Time: Kalila and Dimna from the museum shop online here. Books will ship when the museum reopens. Questions about purchasing the book? Email giftshop@folkartmuseum.org.

Support for 2020 remote public programs is provided by Art Bridges and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Image: Illustration by Sabiha Al Khemir.