A love letter to my father: The gift of reading for Tunisia's prisoners . Middle East Eye by Conor McCormick-Cavanagh

Pictures of yellowed book paper flash across the projector screen as Lina Ben Mhenni addresses the crowd of young girls in front of her at the American Corner cultural centre in Tunis. 

“These are my father’s books from prison. His friends signed them and gave them to him as presents,” she says. Fighting back her emotions, Ben Mhenni shares the story of her father’s seven-year-long imprisonment for political activism.

Normally, her natural confidence guides her easily through any presentation. However, only a few feet in front of her sits her father, the man whose story she is telling. Speaking about her father’s traumatic experience with him sitting in the audience brings everything full circle for her. After a moment, she takes a deep breath and continues with her talk about her latest initiative, one inspired by her father. 

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