Don't Shoot the Clowns: Taking a Circus to the Children of Iraq

(Paperback)

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Dont Shoot the Clowns is the account of one womans experience of living with Iraqi -people during the war and its aftermath. An intense and engaging story, it combines the reality of a country coping with invasion and occupation with the extraordinary story of the traveling circus set up to bring clowning and laughter to the children.

As a human rights observer, Jo Wilding, a young British trainee lawyer and solidarity activist, witnessed and recorded some of the worst atrocities committed against ordinary civilians. And as the occupation started, she joined a group of performers to put on circus shows in squatter camps, hospitals, schools, and orphanages.

Jo Wilding isnt a journalist but a new kind of citizen reporter, instinctively recording events and publishing directly online. Her daily accounts have an immediacy and accuracy that bring the scenes sharply into focus. From the shocking and painful stories of the siege of Fallujah to the crowds of mesmerized children given some respite from horror and uncertainty by the clowns, every episode vividly evokes what day-to-day life in Iraq has been like.

Reviews

'Jo was the only one of us foreigners in Iraq who I was absolutely sure was doing something useful. She made thousands of children happy.' Naomi Klein, author, No Logo 'Excellent unembedded reporting.' Mark Thomas, comedian and campaigner 'If you wish to know the real meaning of the phrase "collateral damage", read this book.' Emma Thompson, actor 'When I first heard that clowns were going to Iraq, my feeling was, "That's all they need." But reading Jo's blogs and watching the film A Letter to the Prime Minister, I suspended my prejudices. The therapeutic value of Circus2Iraq is beyond question; and Jo's involvement with the situation, and her ability to illuminate it for the outside world, offer us priceless access. She goes further than most in introducing us to the people our taxes are killing. But, to be more positive, she also shows us the courage, resourcefulness and cheerfulness of which human beings are capable. This book is not about missionary zeal, but about being human.' Jeremy Hardy, comedian and campaigner 'Jo Wilding's honesty, humor, compassion and courage enliven each story she tells. Teetering on stilts, blowing bubbles, and evoking sidesplitting laughter, she reached common ground with ordinary Iraqis. But the title Don't Shoot the Clowns pertains to nearly every paragraph of this extraordinary memoir. Wilding is a gifted writer. I hope her book, when shared widely, will fuel growing resistance to war.' Kathy Kelly, anti-war activist and co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness '...enormous courage, a deep sense of justice, compassion and a will to show the human face of tragedy - a much needed contribution to showing the picture of modern barbarism.' Hans von Sponeck, Former UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Iraq 'Jo Wilding is a cheeky angel, a voice for the voiceless, a frontline unembedded reporter, a children's entertainer, and a born writer. She represents a new generation of activists who stand by those at the wrong end of the guns, and who won't be moved.' Milan Rai, anti-war activist, author and co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness 'On the worldwide web, the best 'alternative' websites are already read by an audience of millions. The courageous reporting of Jo Wilding from besieged Iraq is a striking example. She is not an accredited journalist, but one of a new breed of "citizen reporters".' John Pilger, from his anthology of the best investigative journalism, Tell Me No Lies

Author Bio

Jo Wilding is a human rights lawyer working in London. In the last few years she has been an activist, blogger and clown. Her weblog from Iraq (www.wildfirejo.blogspot.com) was read all over the world during the war and the ensuing occupation. She was one of 1,000 women worldwide jointly nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.