The constant search for autonomy and freedom is in every woman.

Hana Assafiri is a much-loved and revered social activist and radical entrepreneur. Through the medium of food and dining in her renowned Moroccan Soup Bar, she has worked tirelessly to rectify the systemic and social barriers to women’s empowerment.

Hana’s memoir follows her childhood between Lebanon and Australia, her marriage, her attempts to leave, and her ensuing career in women’s services. In 1998, she opened the Moroccan Soup Bar, which would quickly become an iconic Melbourne institution—founded on the radical notion that marginalised women, together in the kitchen, can effect social change.

‘A powerful call to action … Hana’s story of survival is a testament to resilience, the strength of women and our collective solidarity—when we stand together, we are unstoppable.’

—Antoinette Braybrook AM