1:30 p.m., King Library
The King Library invites you to a special presentation featuring author Jasmin Attia in conversation with culinary writer Roberta Sabban. Attia will discuss her debut novel, The Oud Player of Cairo, a vivid story set in mid-20th-century Egypt that follows Laila, a young woman determined to build an independent life as a singer despite the challenges she faces.
Together, Attia and Sabban will explore the novel’s themes of resilience and identity, along with the food, culture, and music that shape Laila’s world.
Bio: Jasmin Attia is a 2021 graduate of the MFA program at Bennington College, and 2022 winner of the Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature. She has attended the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, and served as a mentor for the Cream Literary Alliance in West Palm Beach. Her writing appears in AWP’s The Writer’s Chronicle, Lit Hub, Electric Lit, the Jewish Book Council’s’ Paper Brigade, and The Millions.
She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of Rochester. Jasmin lives with her family in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and came to writing as a second career. The Oud Player of Cairo is her debut novel.
Bio: Roberta Sabban’s culinary writing career began in Washington, D. C., with bylines in Washingtonian Magazine and The Washington Post. She was food editor for The Journal Newspapers, a group of five papers servicing the beltway communities around Washington, D.C.
Sabban has lived in Israel, France, Luxembourg and traveled extensively throughout Europe plus jaunts to Morocco, Tunisia and Tahiti. This offered her the opportunity to taste, travel and write about her adventures near and far. After moving to Florida, Sabban began giving cooking classes in French, Italian and International cuisine.
She has written about food and wine for The Palm Beach Daily News, has led ethnic market tours, behind-the-scenes culinary tours of Paris, themed summer restaurant series featuring conversations with purveyors and chefs plus culinary literature programs.
Florida Voices is generously supported by the Fred J. Brotherton Endowment for Literature, established at The Four Arts by the Fred J. Brotherton Charitable Foundation. Fred Brotherton, who died in 2003, was for many years a Benefactor of The Four Arts and a strong supporter of its programs. Florida Voices, featuring the state that was Mr. Brotherton’s winter home, serves as a continuing memorial to this much-respected member of The Four Arts.