Nadia Murad — I Choose My Beginning: A Story of Courage and Activism - with Marie Arana
Nadia Murad presents her memoir, *I Choose My Beginning: A Story of Courage and Activism*, in a conversation with author Marie Arana. The book follows Murad’s effort to rebuild an ordinary life after the 2014 ISIS attack on her Yazidi village in northern Iraq, which killed members of her family and led to her captivity and enslavement, while also recounting her transformation into a leading international advocate for survivors, justice, and human rights.
Murad reflects on grief, resilience, friendship, love, and the decision to define her life by strength and possibility rather than by the violence committed against her. The discussion also highlights her work to end conflict-related sexual violence, support communities affected by genocide, and advance the rights of women and survivors through Nadia’s Initiative.
When: Monday, September 28, 2026
Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Program: Nadia Murad will discuss *I Choose My Beginning* with Marie Arana.
Speaker: Nadia Murad is a Yazidi human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kocho, Iraq. After surviving the 2014 Yazidi genocide and escaping ISIS captivity, she became an international advocate for justice, recovery, and an end to the use of sexual violence in conflict. She founded and leads Nadia’s Initiative, which works to rebuild communities in crisis and promote the rights of women and genocide survivors. Murad received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018.
Moderator: Marie Arana is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction and the former editor in chief of *Book World* at the *Washington Post*. She has served as a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize judge, worked as an executive at two major publishing houses, written on Latin America for the *New York Times*, and served as the Library of Congress’s inaugural Literary Director. Her recent book is *LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority*, and she is president of the Literary Society of Washington.
Book: *I Choose My Beginning: A Story of Courage and Activism* is a new memoir by Nadia Murad, with a foreword by Gloria Steinem and contributions from Jenna Krajeski. It was published in hardcover on September 15, 2026.
Related book price: The event page lists the hardcover at $29.00.
Tickets: Price not available