Celebrating Chaldean Authors

2025 Beth Nahrain Writers online conference highlights books, films and milestones from writers of Mesopotamian heritage

By Roy Gessford

The 4th Annual Beth Nahrain Writers Conference was held November 8, 2025, in a virtual format, celebrating books and achievements by Chaldean authors and speakers. Previously hosted at Oakland University, the Chaldean Cultural Center and the Chaldean Community Foundation, the 2025 conference moved online to better serve its expanding global audience of writers and participants exploring Mesopotamian history and culture.

The event featured keynote authors Weam Namou, Jacob Bacall, Father John Jwad and Father Michael Bazzi. It was moderated by Christina Oraha, who guided the three-hour program.

Namou opened and closed the conference, discussing eight of her most recent books. She first highlighted three prominent Chaldean historical figures featured in her work: the 17th-century priest and American adventurer Elias Al-Musili; 19th-century memoirist Maria Teresa Asmar, a relentless traveler from Tel Keppe, Iraq; and the Rev. Joseph Beyhum Nayeem, whose courage during the 1915 genocide continues to inspire readers today.

Namou also shared four children’s books from the Magical Museum Series, inspired by her tenure as executive director of the Chaldean Cultural Center. She closed her remarks with Pomegranate, her romantic comedy novel adapted into an award-winning feature film. Set in Sterling Heights, the film has earned more than 50 international festival awards. The film is currently streaming across multiple platforms.

Fr. John Jwad, an associate priest at St. John Chaldean Catholic Church in Calgary, Alberta, shared the long journey from concept to consecration of Alberta’s first Chaldean Catholic church. While Canada’s first Chaldean community dates to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Calgary did not have a dedicated parish until 2025. More about the parish can be found through its website, stjohnclgary.org.

Jacob Bacall, noted historian and businessman, spoke next. A four-time author and co-author with Bishop Bawai Soro of Chaldean Catholic Church, Bacall traced the evolution of early Chaldean faith communities in Iraq to modern North American church life in both the United States and Canada. The book features extensive archival photography documenting community growth, hardship and resilience. The title and Bacall’s other books are available through Michigan bookstores and online distributors, including Arcadia Publishing.

As founder of Let in the Light Publishing and a former student of Bazzi, I was able to present excerpts from Bazzi’s latest book, The Life of Tilkepnaye, describing village life in Tel Keppe — about 6 miles from Mosul — prior to the 2014 ISIS takeover. Expanding on Bazzi’s 1969 title Tilkepe: Past and Present, the new work explores the close relationship between Aramaic-speaking villagers and church traditions during planting, harvest and festival seasons.

Bazzi participated by phone, answering questions about the book and offering broader insights on Chaldean cultural identity. Bazzi has authored 14 books, available through major global distributors.

Recordings of the 2025 Beth Nahrain Writers Conference are publicly available on YouTube. Oraha was noted for keeping the program engaging and seamless throughout. The event is family-friendly and draws interest from both the Chaldean and wider historical and literary communities.