STROUD will be welcoming Syrian refugee Hassan Akkad for a second time to speak at the Book Festival taking place in November.

Hassan, an English teacher who has studied Shakespeare is arguably one of the most compelling examples of the power of stories and storytelling on the impressive roster of authors and illustrators.

When Hassan first arrived in the UK he was invited to come and speak in Stroud and share his story to help prepare the town for the 10 refugee families it had pledged to take in response to the crisis.

The talk he gave to a packed room at The Prince Albert had a dramatic effect on those present, “no one moved an inch while I spoke for over an hour, all eyes were on me and when I finished speaking it felt so powerful, there was such an energy”.

Viewers of the BBC2 documentary Exodus: Our Journey to Europe will be familiar with his background; a Syrian refugee who left his home in Damascus in 2012 before beginning a perilous journey across Europe.

Hassan filmed his 87 day journey from Syria to the UK using his mobile phone, the harrowing footage was used to give viewers an insight into the plight of the estimated 4.8 million people who have fled Syria.

The 1,000 mile trek that so many have taken, and failed to complete.

The resulting three-part television documentary is a devastating, breathtaking story told by just a few making the journey, which left many of the millions of viewers in tears and enabled many to better understand the horrific conditions which have led to so many risking their lives to make such a perilous journey to safety.

The scenes in which he films the sinking dinghy he is in, crammed with desperate people looking for sanctuary, are hard to watch, and almost impossible to turn away from.

Hassan has, perhaps appropriately, a passion for speech, writing and the power of the spoken word, he says it is partly what led to him being arrested, jailed and beaten following an anti-government rally in Damascus; he couldn’t remain silent about what he was witnessing in his country, and wanted to use his voice to expose the injustice he was witnessing.

He is a natural storyteller, eloquent yet quietly spoken, his talent for engaging with the viewer or listener and revealing the dramatic detail and complex stories behind them is magical, a talent.

He’s aware that the delivery of the story plays a great part in the impact on the audience, but feels an understandable burden that he one of the people who has been chosen to tell the story of so many.

Since speaking in Stroud for the first time at the end of 2015 he has also appeared with Billy Bragg at Glastonbury, appeared before journalists at the Frontline Club in London as well as attending the BAFTA screening of ‘Exodus’ in London.

I ask him what that’s been like: “I’m still spinning, I can’t process it”.

His days are spent telling his story, and the story of so many others, at colleges, reporters, broadcasters, he’s even shown the film to his friends and family back home during their regular Skype calls.

He’s looking forward to getting some stability back in his life, having now been granted the right to remain in the UK, he currently lives with an English family in Brixton, and works part time as a photographer.

He humbly acknowledges that he is a talented story teller and is looking forward to giving more people a platform to tell their story, through photography and film.

Stroud feels like something of a homecoming to Hassan, he speaks fondly of the warm welcome he received when he came here having finished his epic journey last year and is looking forward to seeing those who showed him such kindness last time he was here.

Exodus is on bbc.co.uk/iplayer Hassan will be showing excerpts from the programme during his talk as part of Stroud Book Festival on Saturday 12th November 2016.

Tickets are available now from the Sub Rooms, www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk/whats-on/