Download Syria's Secret Library
Away from the sound of bombs and bullets, in the basement of a crumbling house in the besieged Syrian town of Darayya, is a secret library. It's home to thousands of books rescued from bombed-out buildings by local volunteers, who daily brave snipers and shells to fill its shelves. In a town gripped by hunger and death after three years without food aid, Mike Thomson reveals how this literary sanctuary is proving a lifeline to a community shattered by war.
Produced by Michael Gallagher and additional research and translation by Mariam El Khalaf.
*Omar, the FSA soldier pictured above who was the last voice heard in this programme has been killed in fighting.*.
Available Podcasts from Crossing Continents
Subscribe to Crossing Continents
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Crossing Continents webpage.