Refugee Week with Sita Brahmachari and Lina Fadel: for pupils aged 11 to 14 (Years 7 to 9/S1 to S3)

About the event

Join us on Friday 20 June to mark Refugee Week 2025 with author Sita Brahmachari and editor of The Other Side of Hope, Lina Fadel. They will explore why they write about the experiences of refugees, and the responsibility authors hold when doing so.

During the session, your class, together with pupils from across the UK, will have the chance to hear from Sita herself about her new book Phoenix Brothers. Sita will be sharing why she felt compelled to return to the story of Amir and Mo, whilst also discussing why she writes about the experiences of refugees.

Sita and Lina will lead a discussion considering the responsibility authors hold when writing about the refugee experience, and inviting students to get involved with asking important questions such as:

• Why is it important to talk about the experiences of people seeking refuge?
• How are refugees represented in fiction, in the media, and in everyday conversations?

Teachers will have the opportunity to send in student questions ahead of time - as well as live during the event.

Please share any questions from your students prior to the event by email sent to membership@literacytrust.org.uk.

This free event is recommended for ages 11 to 14 years (Years 7 to 9/S1-S3).

Whilst designed for schools, other non-school education settings, or home educators are also welcome to register.

Classroom resources supporting the event

Supplementing the live event, we have created standalone sessions, exploring and connected by the theme and message of this year's Refugee Week Community as a Superpower.

Through individual reading, writing, and oracy sessions, students will explore why it is important to talk about the refugee experience, and how their words and actions matter in creating a supportive and inclusive community. Drawing on vital literacy skills to support their understanding, students will develop their own personal and creative responses.

The sessions can work alone or build to form a sequence of work where students pull together what they have discovered into a piece of writing in response to the theme Community as a Superpower, taking inspiration from the work explored throughout the week.

Resources will be available to download from week commencing 19 May on our Refugee Week 2025 resource page.

Get involved

Register to take part by completing our form below. Joining instructions will be sent out automatically (check your spam box!).