To kick off Welcoming Week 2024, join Welcoming Australia in partnership with The Huddle and Melbourne Books to celebrate Hana Assafiri's memoir Hana: The Audacity to be Free.

Hana Assafiri is a Melbourne-based social activist, feminist, and owner of the popular Moroccan Soup Bar restaurant. Through the Moroccan Soup Bar, Hana provides employment for marginalised women in her community and hosts important initiatives like Speed Date a Muslim and Conversation Salons. She has been recognised on many occasions for her entrepreneurial ingenuity, innovation and voracious spirit for social justice. Hana’s activism forefronts women’s issues, racism, and the need for pluralism and intersectionality for society to progress. She is a mentor and role model for women everywhere, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds.

Hana's memoir follows her childhood between Lebanon and Australia, her arranged marriage to a violent man, her numerous attempts to escape, and her ensuing career in women's services. In 1998, she opened the Moroccan Soup Bar, which would quickly become an iconic Melbourne institution-founded on the radical notion that marginalised women, together in the kitchen, can effect social change.

Hana will be in conversation with Aleem Ali, CEO of Welcoming Australia.

Guests will have an opportunity to experience The Huddle’s award-winning facilities, which leverage cutting-edge technology to create immersive experiences for communities to learn, grow and belong.

Tickets $30 include delicious buffet dinner from the Moroccan Soup Bar.

Hana’s book will be available to purchase for $34.95. Be sure to get your copy signed!

When: Wednesday September 4, 2024, 6-8pm

Where: The Huddle, 204-206 Arden St, North Melbourne.

Please notify us of any dietary restrictions when registering.

Contact the host of The Audacity to Be Free: food and conversation with Hana Assafiri