Awali
Dublin Core
Title
Awali
Description
My family's story began in Awali, an oil town in Bahrain. Modelled on an American suburban vision, Awali had everything: a hospital, a church, a library, a post office, a cricket club and even a golf course. My grandfather moved there in 1945, seeking new opportunities for his family. It's where my parents met and where I was born.
In the first nine years of my childhood, I lived in seven different countries and attended eight schools, making the question "Where are you from?" complicated. My father tragically passed away after a brief illness, which changed the course of life for my mother and me forever. Though he died when I was ten, the full impact of the grief only struck me years later.
In 2023, I returned to Bahrain for the first time since leaving Awali in 1965, hoping to explore my family's history and my early years. It was a journey that profoundly reconnected me with my childhood in unexpected and revealing ways. There, I discovered two significant traces of my identity: my baptismal record displayed in Awali Church and a framed tournament record for my father, still hanging in the local golf club. Seeing these documents on public display was an overwhelming discovery that affirmed my origins and identity.
In the first nine years of my childhood, I lived in seven different countries and attended eight schools, making the question "Where are you from?" complicated. My father tragically passed away after a brief illness, which changed the course of life for my mother and me forever. Though he died when I was ten, the full impact of the grief only struck me years later.
In 2023, I returned to Bahrain for the first time since leaving Awali in 1965, hoping to explore my family's history and my early years. It was a journey that profoundly reconnected me with my childhood in unexpected and revealing ways. There, I discovered two significant traces of my identity: my baptismal record displayed in Awali Church and a framed tournament record for my father, still hanging in the local golf club. Seeing these documents on public display was an overwhelming discovery that affirmed my origins and identity.
Publisher
Biscuit Books
Date
2023
Format
Softcover Stapled Zine
Zine Item Type Metadata
Issue Title
Awali
Editor
Sue Vaughton
Designer
Sue Vaughton
Dimensions
20 cm W x 24cm H
Number of Pages
44
Place of Publication
London
Printer
ExWhyZed
Edition Size
25
Where to buy
Links to reviews
Citation
Sue Vaughton, “Awali,” Photo Book Cafe Archive, accessed April 30, 2025, https://www.photobookcafe-archive.co.uk/items/show/926.