Matthew Teller - Finding Aladdin: The Hidden History of a Syrian Storyteller
Sanctuary Room, Brimscombe Mill, Stroud, GL5 2QN
Friday 27th November 2026 7:00PM
Matthew Teller is a wonderful storyteller.
His new book is about stories and storytelling, celebrating a young storyteller whose name was almost lost to history.
Hanna Diab, aged 20, was the first person to tell the story of Aladdin, in Paris in 1709. Centuries later, a manuscript discovered by chance in the Vatican shows how Hanna created Aladdin from the facts of his own, extraordinary life, only to be betrayed by those he trusted – and then erased from his own story.
In this captivating case of literary deduction, Matthew Teller unearths the hidden history of the boy, the genie and his lamp, recovering a skilled storyteller hiding in plain sight.
Matthew writes for the BBC, Guardian, Independent, Times, Financial Times and other global media. His previous book was the widely acclaimed Daybreak in Gaza, and he has also written a history of Jerusalem.
His new book is about stories and storytelling, celebrating a young storyteller whose name was almost lost to history.
Hanna Diab, aged 20, was the first person to tell the story of Aladdin, in Paris in 1709. Centuries later, a manuscript discovered by chance in the Vatican shows how Hanna created Aladdin from the facts of his own, extraordinary life, only to be betrayed by those he trusted – and then erased from his own story.
In this captivating case of literary deduction, Matthew Teller unearths the hidden history of the boy, the genie and his lamp, recovering a skilled storyteller hiding in plain sight.
Matthew writes for the BBC, Guardian, Independent, Times, Financial Times and other global media. His previous book was the widely acclaimed Daybreak in Gaza, and he has also written a history of Jerusalem.
Event Details
Starts at 7:00PM
