The unquiet past: memory, conflict and the writer's voice

The unquiet past: memory, conflict and the writer’s voice

Wednesday 11th February 2026

7-8:30pm

RSA House - Durham Street Auditorium

"I [am] neither a hero nor a traitor but simply a normal writer and humanist with the ability to feel pity for another's pain.” Akram Aylisli

A remarkable Dash Café devoted to the writer who changed the conversation. Discover the story of Akram Aylisli, whose groundbreaking novel on the enduring historical and cultural connections between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Stone Dreams, continues to provoke debate and admiration in equal measure.

Featuring interview excerpts, evocative Armenian music from Tigran Aleksanyan, and an in-depth discussion with acclaimed authors and journalists including Mark Grigoryan, Katherine E. Young and Thomas de Waal, the evening opens up questions of homeland, historical memory, and the risks artists take when confronting the past.

Join us for a rare encounter at the crossroads of art, politics, and truth.

Speakers:

• Mark Grigoryan, Journalist and Author
• Katherine E. Young, Poet and Translator
• Thomas de Waal, Journalist and Author
• Könül De Moor, Europe-Asia Department Officer (Conciliation Resources), Conflict Resolution and Mediation Specialist

Music by:

• Tigran Aleksanyan, Musician

Moderated by:

• Josephine Burton, Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Dash Arts

Co-hosted with: Dash Arts & Conciliation Resources