Farhad Alsilo experienced and survived the genocide of his Yazidi people as an 11-year-old boy. In his book »The Day My Childhood Ended«, he tells of a traumatic flight, of loss, but also of arrival and confidence.

Farhad had to watch the IS militias invade his village, kill the men and boys, kidnap the women and girls and raffle and sell them as slaves. From one minute to the next, his childhood was over. He lost his father and many relatives, he lost his home and his homeland. His book »The Day My Childhood Ended« tells the story of his flight through the burning hot desert and through the Sinjar Mountains to Kurdistan. The constant companions: hunger, thirst and fear of the IS. But there are also happy moments: the reunion with his four rescued sisters and with his eldest brother, who fled with his family across the Mediterranean. Farhad, his mother and youngest siblings came to Stuttgart in 2015 as part of the special contingent of the state of Baden-Württemberg for persecuted Yezidis. He made friends, graduated from Realschule with top marks and now goes to a technical high school. And he has made his dream come true: He has written down his story and made a book out of it.

The event will be held in German.

Organization / Institution

ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe