Babylon, Albion

**A new voice on nature and belonging, writer Dalia Al-Dujaili delves into the layered ties between land, myth and identity, in conversation with photographer Zaineb Abelque, and footballer and gardener Tayshan Hayden-Smith, chaired by Ismail Einashe.**

A lyrical and vivid new work, *Babylon, Albion: A Personal History of Myth and Migration* offers a poetic reflection on belonging – not only to a place or a people, but to the stories that bind them together.

Drawing from Arab mythology and Islamic tradition alongside English folklore and the Christian pastoral tradition, Al-Dujaili moves between the real and the mythical – from date palms to oak trees, from Lamassu to unicorns – inviting us to rethink how we connect with the living world around us.

It is, in many ways, a love letter – to Britain, to Iraq and to the earth we all share. It gestures towards a different kind of nativeness: one shaped by layers, by openness and by the restless hum of history, myth and movement.

Dalia Al-Dujaili is a British-born Iraqi writer, editor and producer based in London. She is the online editor of The British Journal of Photography. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, Dazed, GQ, Aperture, and more. She is the founder of The Road to Nowhere Magazine and she was the Producer of Refugee Week 2023.

In partnership with Counterpoints Arts and Saqi Books. Part of Refugee Week 2025.

The ticket price includes a £2 venue restoration levy.

Presented by Southbank Centre.

This is an 12+ event