Huge congratulations to Ghaith for winning Travel Book of the Year! Really proud that Wounded Tigris was also nominated, and amazing to have two books from Iraq this year in a shortlist of six. Thanks to Stanfords for running such a wonderful award. #estwa2024

Happy Newroz/Nowruz to all those celebrating. Sadly I’m not in Akre this year, as I was when I took this picture. Great memories of joy and hope then. More important than ever right now to wish and call for a peaceful and positive year ahead.

“The damage inflicted on Iraq over the past two decades is almost immeasurable: at least 210,000 people, mostly civilians, killed; the destruction of Mosul; a flood of refugees...; and millions of traumatized survivors.” —Joshua Hammer go.nybooks.com/3Tp1BRO

Babies are dying of malnutrition & dehydration.

Man-made famine is looming.

Doctors are amputating limbs of injured children without anesthetic.

Despite all the horrors - the worst might be yet to come.

The fate of millions of people who depend on UNRWA hang in the balance.

Wounded Tigris is in The New York Review of Books this week, alongside Ghaith’s remarkable book. A real honour to share the space with him, and to be closely read by Joshua Hammer for the review nybooks.com/articles/2024/…

Lovely window display Stanfords last night with all the #ESTWA shortlisted books for 2024 🙌

If you don’t know what to read, take a look👇📚

Leon McCarron Tim Hannigan Mary Colwell Tom Parfitt Ghaith Nick Hunt isabelle marinov Alastair Humphreys Dr Huw Lewis-Jones 🇦🇶 … 📖

Wonderful night in the heart of Donegal with hundreds of people gathering to watch dozens of musicians in solidarity and fundraising support for Gaza ❤️

Irish lawyer Blinne Ni Ghralaigh who is supporting South Africa's legal team at the ICJ, says the number of orphans caused by ‘Israel’s genocidal assault on the Palestinian population in Gaza’ has led to the need for a new acronym: WCNSF - wounded child, no surviving family.

The names of the Palestinian journalists killed by Israel during the genocide in Gaza, whether by bombing or sniping.

1. Mohammad Al-Salehi
2. Ibrahim Lafi
3. Mohammad Jarghoun
4. Asaad Shamlakh
5. Saeed Al-Taweel
6. Hisham Al-Nawajha
7. Mohammad Abu Rizq
8. Ayed Al-Najjar
9.…

South African lawyer Adila Hassim: Israel has engaged in a “systematic pattern of conduct from which genocide can be inferred.” It has subjected the people of Gaza to “one of the heaviest conventional bombing campaigns in the history of modern warfare” by sea, land and air.

⭕️ LIVE: South Africa begins its genocide case against Israel at the ICJ in The Hague. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Signing off social media for a while - see you all in 2024. I’ll leave you with a pretty picture of Donegal 🙏

And, as ever, may we see a #PermanentCeaseFire now, and an end to the killing of civilians; end to siege and bombardment; end to our governments’ complicity.

Oh, wow! This is very exciting- really proud to see Wounded Tigris here among such fine company. Congratulations to all, and thanks as ever to Stanfords for being uniquely wonderful in all they do!

Festive Opening Hours at the lovely Stanfords in Covent Garden
👇⏱️🎄

If you haven’t got my top 10 reads of 2023, you know where to go 🤗📚

Anthony Sattin Levison Wood Peter Frankopan Leon McCarron Jeremy Bowen Pradeep BASHYAL Tom Parfitt Guy Shrubsole Tim Hannigan Tim Marshall

Amin Saikal Noo Saro-Wiwa Justin Marozzi Matthew Teller Larisa Brown Chris Aslan Alexande Maya K. Peterson #1 I’ve no doubt about my #bookoftheyear : it’s Leon McCarron’s Wounded Tigris. Travel, history, environment, people, & an epic river journey. If you read just one book from my list, make it this one. amazon.co.uk/dp/1472156234?…

#Friday #Today 17 Nov #YFOS23 #finalfling #weekend
2-3pm workshop online - Jeffrey Boakye using stories to combat racism in your group/class Jeffrey Boakye
7-8pm live & online - Leon McCarron talk about his trek & book along the Tigris River - Wounded Tigris Leon McCarron ⬇️

Over 115 UK Parliamentarians demand Rishi Sunak and UK Government support a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to the horrific killings. #ceasefirenow

caabu.org/news/news/over…

Rishi Sunak David Cameron Lord (Tariq)Ahmad of Wimbledon Keir Starmer David Lammy

I'm delighted to be heading to Yorkshire for the Festival of Storytelling with Settle Stories to talk about the Tigris. I'm there this Friday, 17th, from 7pm - details here: yorkshirefestivalofstory.com/event/wounded-…