The Jameel Library Reading Groups return with Reading the City, a new series that delves into the unique character of urban life across the globe. Over the course of four sessions, participants will engage with short texts that spotlight different cities, following thematic threads and examining contemporary literature reflecting urban spaces. The series will be conducted in English and led by Tamreez Inam.

In the fourth session, participants will explore imagined urban realities—utopian, dystopian, and otherwise. These speculative landscapes reveal the aspirations, anxieties, and cultural critiques embedded in the imagination of writers in response to the city. Reading material includes texts by Usman T. Malik, Fatemah Raed Al Awadh, Hassan Blasim and Des Fitzgerald

Reading groups are free and open to all. Registration is required, as space is limited. Registered participants are expected to commit to all the sessions and reading material, attend the session they have registered for, and contribute to a respectful and open discursive environment.

About Tamreez Inam

A writer, literary consultant and curator, Tamreez is the former Assistant Festival Director and Head of Programming for the Emirates Literature Foundation, where she was responsible for the curation and delivery of the Emirates Litfest, the Arab world’s largest literary festival, as well as the programming for other Foundation initiatives such as the Connecting Minds Book Club in partnership with Expo City Dubai. Tamreez also writes about and reviews books on her social media as well as for publications.

Prior to working in cultural programming, Tamreez worked for a decade in international development, trade and investment consulting with organisations such as OCO Global, the British Embassy in Dubai, Oxfam and the United Nations. She has a Joint Honours Degree in International Development and Political Science from McGill University and a Master’s degree in Global Governance & Diplomacy from the University of Oxford.