Last Tuesday Amman got a just a little taste of Beirut as the glamorous Lebanese publishers were in town to promote new title, ‘At Home in Amman’. ‘At Home in Beirut’ has been a bestseller for humor and lifestyle specialists, Turning Point Publications, in Lebanon so the tourists decided to bring their style and penache to the Jordanian capital to officially launch the Ammani version.
More than a guide-book, ‘At Home in Amman’ is a unique title bringing together first-hand reviews and friendly tips for Expats and residents living in the city. Less ‘culture shock’ and more ‘dive right in’ is the motto.
The evening kicked off with a speech by Turning Point director Charlotte Hamaoui at the fashionable bookstore, The Good Bookshop, just off the cultural heart of Amman: Rainbow Street.
Rainbow Street is The place to be in the Jordanian capital, with a mix of earthy cosmopolitan types and glamorous Western-style entertainment haunts. Here on Rainbow Street– "if you were to spot a diamond – it would likely be pierced in some Jordanian hipsters’ nose rather than around the neck or on someone’s finger."
Hamaoui said she wanted to keep the speech ‘Sweet and Strong’ and she most certainly did, with a sprinkling of thanks to the many contributors and a look at what being ‘at home’ in any place really means.
"Consider this book a friend" she said, and all of a sudden we felt less lonely in the sprawling Jordanian capital.
Author, Micah Key was on hand to sign some of the first copies of the books, whilst guests sipped drinks and nibbled canapés. It was the perfect night for a launch party in the Good Bookshop’s beautiful outdoor lounge and as the evening drew on we were accompanied by the sound of the Oud playing softly in the background.
