The story of a family fleeing the Syrian civil war is coming to the stage in Scotland, with leading refugee campaigners hoping it will have “the power to change people’s minds” about the plight of those seeking safety from conflict.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo, adapted from the internationally best-selling novel by UK Cypriot Christy Lefteri, has been brought to theatres by the production team behind The Kite Runner, and will be performed at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow later this month.
The story depicts the lives of Nuri, a beekeeper, and his artist wife Afra, who live a full life surrounded by friends and family in the Syrian capital of Aleppo.
However their lives are destroyed by war, forcing them to embark on a terrifying journey to safety.
Lefteri based the story on her own experience of volunteering with refugees in Athens during 2015 and 2016.
The book was the winner of the Aspen Words Award, runner up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and one of The Times top three bestselling books of 2020.
Christy Lefteri was born in London in 1980 to Greek Cypriot parents who moved to London in 1974. She completed a degree in English and a Masters in creative writing at Brunel University. She taught English to foreign students and then became a secondary school teacher before leaving to pursue a PhD and to write.
