Diana Darke’s insider’s view of the Syrian Revolution: in 2005 Diana bankrupted herself buying a semi-derelict 18th century courtyard house in the Old Walled City of Damascus. It became a refuge for displaced friends, and was stolen by war profiteers.
‘the pace of a novel and the colour of the best travel writing’ TLS
Diana Darke, after graduating in Arabic from Oxford University, worked at GCHQ in Cheltenham before living and working in a range of Arabic countries as a translator and consultant. She has written 16 travel guides to the region, and been back six times since the Syrian crisis began, most recently to retake her house. She’s committed to helping Syrians achieve a better future. She has written for the BBC website, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The
Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times and has been a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent.
For every copy sold Haus Publishing will donate 15% of their receipts and Diana Darke 15% of her royalty to a Higher Education Fund for Syrians, administered by the Saïd Foundation.