NYU Reads at The Libraries

Events, projects, and resources that highlight NYU's Common Reading

Exit West Zine

Program Description

Hey NYU, show us your creativity! Beginning now through June 1st, 2021, the Division of Libraries will be organizing the NYU Reads Community Zine (pronounced “zeen”)! This project invites anyone from the NYU Community to submit creative work based on the theme of Doors from Exit West.

Themes 

BONUS THEME: Exit West: A Novel by Mohsin Hamid. 

The NYU Reads book for Spring 2021 is Exit West, by Mohsin Hamad. It tells the story of a young couple, Nadia and Saeed, whose escape from their war-ravaged city turns into a global odyssey thanks to a series of  “magical doors” to secret portals that whisk them away to unknown destinations. Their story opens up questions about borders, migration, love and loss, what it means to be human or a citizen, what it means to be part of a community, and what home means in multiple and shifting contexts. NYU Libraries has an online version of the book, which you’ll find here.

Relating to the novel’s device of transporting through magical doors, reflect on:

What have you experienced recently that you’d like to transport from? Where would you like to go — relating to liberation, equity, and social justice?

Based on your thoughts, create and share your own magical door. We provide a “doorway” template to which you add an image and caption, that you can contribute (anonymously, if you like) to a gallery of such images that we’ll display on the blog. 

Zine Submission Ideas

We provide a Google slides template, which also includes step-by-step instructions for completing the activity. Here’s the link to the template

Create your Door

Zine Submission Details

  • All submissions are due by June 1st 2021 by 5:00pm EST. 
  • If you want to be credited for your submission, include your name, NYU School, and class year (if applicable).  Unidentified entries will be marked as anonymous.
  • Submissions are taken via blog submissions or email at nyureads-lib@nyu.edu 
  • Any questions, contact nyureads-lib@nyu.edu 

Fine Print

  • By submitting content to the NYU Reads Community Zine, you agree to let the Division of Libraries at NYU reuse, remix, and repurpose your submission for this zine and any associated marketing.  This could include social media, sharing across the University, and other promotional endeavors.  
  • All other rights belong to you, including your original intellectual ownership of your submission.
  • We want zine contributors to feel safe participating in the collaborative NYU Reads Community Zine.  The following code of contribution is declared: this zine is about community, about respect, and about considerate participation.  NYU Libraries respects the multiple identities of its contributors and the variety of contributions that will be submitted.  We are sensitive to issues of, among other things, race, class, gender, sexuality, physical disability, and mental/emotional health.  The NYU Division of Libraries reserves the right to refuse any submission that overtly challenges the safety of the project and its contributors.