Rotterdam based political philosopher and author Tina Rahimy just published her first novel The Orphans. Farid Tabarki will interview her in Debatpodium Arminius.

Her book is about different characters who are all orphans. People can become orphans through loss of parent(s), a lack of a home or trauma. But, according to Rahimy, becoming an orphan is a much bigger issue. In the current time, most of us feel disconnected. We experience a kind of rootlessness. What does it mean to be orphaned, to be rootless? Can we connect in a different manner, find roots on a different path?  

Rahimy was born in Iran, but since she has been living and working in Rotterdam for more than 32 years, she refuses to be solely characterized by her ethnic roots. Although contemporary society gladly focuses on the standard ethnic roots, in her work and life she searches for different forms of connections, watering different roots. 

What can we learn from different stories about orphans and roots?