Dezh Azaad is an Afghan writer who’s been a refugee his whole life. He is a trilingual educator currently living in Germany. He speaks English, German, and his native Persian, which he’s taught to refugee children aged six to twelve years old. He’s also led seminars in German for teens and young adults on social change, race, and the climate crisis. With a background in computer science, Dezh is passionate about sustainable technology. Introducing young people to the possibility of a more equitable worldview brings him great joy.

The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story

This poignant story, about an Afghan refugee child and the family carpet that connects them to home, inspires readers to live and learn in love, not fear

We sip our tea and talk together,
Ruby cushions of goose feather.
The carpet is for sitting.

The Carpet follows a day in the life of an Afghan refugee child, where every moment revolves around love, family, and the carpet that connects them to home. The carpet is the centerpiece of family life, where meals, stories, laughs, and memories are shared. This moving story, inspired by the author’s life, celebrates what makes a home—no matter where you are.

“I wanted to focus on joy and love to show, with vibrant, colorful art, the true face of my people and counter the narrative of tragedy and violence that has become synonymous with Afghans.”– Dezh Azaad

Presentations

Celebrating Where We Come From & Embracing Our Differences

Venue: Classrooms, Libraries, Online Presentations (45 min)

Dezh will introduce himself with slides and stories of his experience growing up and living as a refugee in the Middle East and Europe. In line with his Author’s Note, Dezh will speak about how it is important to connect with new people in new places, but also to honor where we come from so we feel connected to our home, our family, and ourselves—and how Persian carpets play that role in his life. He will then read the book and ask students to identify the different activities that connect the characters in the book to family and their homeland. As the students share their findings, Dezh will fill out a board with different categories (family members, cooking together/ sharing meals, playing games, looking at photos, telling traditional stories). He will ask students if they can relate to these categories and to share with the class traditions (holidays, songs/music, etc) they have in their own families. In closing, Dezh will bring attention to the fact that while we may offer different answers, we all have answers. We all treasure this same sense of home. It’s where we belong. The presentation will end with a Q & A.

Note: Prior to the visit, Dezh will provide free coloring pages from The Carpet for younger students.

Older students will be invited to delve deeper into what it means to be a refugee and to investigate their own family history to find out who migrated when/why/where from/ where to/ if they had to learn a new language, etc. 

 

Website

Availability and Honorariums