Image by Emily Garthwaite.
An award-winning writer and broadcaster who travelled 2,000km by boat through Turkey, Syria and Iraq is giving a talk at Turner Sims Southampton.
Leon McCarron will visit the University of Southampton venue with stories from his acclaimed book Wounded Tigris on Friday 27 October. The book recounts his incredible source-to-sea journey along the river Tigris, investigating the environmental and geopolitical challenges that threaten the future of this once-great river.
In around an hour, Leon will cover 2,000 years of human history. He’ll share his uplifting and occasionally dangerous experiences in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq – from being harassed by militias to being supported by the generosity of strangers.
Over the past decade Leon has travelled over 50,000km by human power. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), he is known for long-distance expeditions and immersive multimedia storytelling.
In this dynamic talk, he will explore the environmental and geopolitical challenges that threaten the future of the Tigris and leave it at risk of becoming uninhabitable. He will share what humanity stands to lose with the death of a great river, and what can be done to try to save it.
Reflecting on his journey, Leon said: “The Tigris has been the lifeblood of ancient Mesopotamia and modern Iraq. The landscape is beautiful, and mountainous, and filled with deep layers of history, culture, and faith. It’s easy to forget that so much of our shared human history is held in this region, and that some of the earliest civilisations emerged on the banks of the Tigris. Travelling along the river seemed the best way to understand the present-day reality of life in the region and the impending crises facing the people who live there.”
The event will include beautiful imagery from award-winning photographer and expedition co-leader Emily Garthwaite, and real-life accounts from people in Iraq.
- The talk at Turner Sims on Friday 27 October is presented in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society. To book tickets or find out more, visit the Turner Sims website.
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton