Beirut blast survivor finds solace in memoir after mother’s death

Ariana Papazian holds her memoir, Delia: A Survivor's Story, at Aaliya's Books in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 5, 2022 [Kareem Chehayeb/Al Jazeera]

Teenager Ariana Papazian had started working on her first book – a science fiction novel – when a huge explosion decimated Beirut Port and much of the Lebanese capital in August 2020.

In a matter of seconds, the 15-year-old’s world was turned upside down and her novel would soon become a memoir about losing her mother, Delia, on that tragic day.