A belly dancer lights up the crowd at the summer edition of the Taste of the Middle East on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Ontario | Photo by Joseph - Gilded Shutter
⏱️ 7-Minute Read
📬 Issue #6 — Here’s what’s inside:
👋🏽 Ahlan / Hello
🌟 Five Events Worth Checking Out
🗓️ Full List of This Week’s Events
👋🏽 AHLAN / HELLO
It's issue number khamsa (#5) of khamsa!
How’s your week going? One of my favourite moments this week was running into a khamsa reader (Izayek, Nahla! 👋🏽) at one of the events from last week — the launch of Taslīm: We Are the Prophets by Carolyn Ramzy at Another Story Bookshop. We had a lovely chat about our shared love of Arabic literature. Then we listened as Carolyn read from her book and shared the stories behind her poems.
If you make it out to any events from this week’s edition, I’d love to hear how it went! Just hit reply or send a photo my way.
Now on to this week’s picks. I’m kicking things off with my top 5, then giving you the full daily breakdown to help you plan your week.
🌟 FIVE EVENTS WORTH CHECKING OUT
🏎️ Speed Sisters @ Corktown Common
Catch this free outdoor screening of Speed Sisters (2015) by Amber Fares — a thrilling doc about the first all-women race car driving team in Palestine — co-presented by the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show and Toronto Palestine Film Festival. Includes two shorts: Mawtini and Unibrow. Bring your blanket, grab some snacks, and enjoy films under the stars.
🌟 Presented with Toronto Outdoor Picture Show & Toronto Palestine Film Festival
💬 English / Palestinian Arabic with English subtitles
🗓️ Thursday, July 17 – Eats @ 7:00 PM / Films @ 9:00 PM
📍 Corktown Common, 155 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M5A 0M4
🎟️ Free / PWYC – TOpictureshow.com
🇵🇸 Palestine All the Time @ Gallery TPW
A 24-hour cultural takeover centring Palestinian voices in art, music, film, and activism. From 6:00 PM Friday to 6:00 PM Saturday, drop in for performances, readings, sound works, discussions, and film screenings — all happening in person and online. Food, drinks, and a chill zone are provided.
💬 English / Palestinian Arabic
🗓️ Friday–Saturday, July 18–19 (6:00 PM–6:00 PM)
📍 Gallery TPW, 170 St Helens Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 4A1
🎟️ Free – GalleryTPW.ca
🔥 Meem Toronto Bonfire
Join Meem Toronto for a cozy evening around the fire, featuring music, shisha, and community. Bring your marshmallows, hot dogs, or anything else you’d like to roast. This gathering is exclusively for queer and trans folks from Arabic-speaking regions.
🌟 Meem Toronto
💬 Arabic dialects / English
🗓️ Saturday, July 19 · 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
📍 Location shared via DM (see Instagram post)
🎟️ Free
🧺 Arab Hangouts: Picnic & Potluck
Bring a dish, a blanket, and your best vibes to this relaxed community picnic on Toronto Island. Expect good food, golden hour views, and new connections with fellow 20- and 30-somethings from the Arab diaspora. All nationalities are welcome.
🌟 Arab Hangouts💬 English / Arabic dialects
🗓️ Sunday, July 20 · 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
📍 Toronto Island Park (exact location shared day-of)
🎟️ Free with registration | RSVP here
📚 A Mouth Full of Salt – Book Launch with Reem Gaafar
Join author Reem Gaafar in conversation with Nehal El-Hadi for the Toronto launch of A Mouth Full of Salt, a debut novel set in a Sudanese village on the edge of transformation. With catering by Zoal Cafe and support from Invisible Publishing and the Sudan Solidarity Collective.
🌟 Hosted by Another Story Bookshop
💬 English
🗓️ Tuesday, July 22 · 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Another Story Bookshop, 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto
🎟️ Free with RSVP – Eventbrite
🔓 Want more? Every issue of 🖐🏽 khamsa features five staff picks and even more events organized by day. If you’re a subscriber, keep scrolling. If not, sign up (it’s free!) to access the full list.