The real life Beekeeper of Aleppo whose story inspired the best selling novel is coming to Blackburn to share his story next month.

Dr Ryad Alsous fled war-torn Syria, leaving behind a research project he dedicated years to, and came to the UK in 2013.

He joined his wife in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, where their daughter Razan had settled the previous year.

Mad Home Co, in Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, is hosting an event next month where Dr Alsous will share the details of his life.

Owner of the shop, Tracy Reed said: “We’re starting a book club and we wanted to introduce something like a human library with speakers who people in the community might never get the chance to meet, like refugees for example, to share their stories and experiences.”

Dr Alsous was known to his former university students as ‘the professor of bees’ for his research into the chemical properties of honey and for managing 500 beehives.

He also ran a company selling herbal and honey-based cosmetic products.

After fleeing the civil war, Dr Alsous decided to continue his passion to help others by launching the Buzz Project in 2016, which aims to help local refugees and save the bees.

He was also one of the inspirations for the novel, The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri which deals with the plight of refugees from Syria through the story of Nuri, a beekeeper and his wife Afra who live in Aleppo.

The talk at Mad Home Co is taking place on Sunday, October 8 at 2pm and tickets cost £10.  

There’s already been plenty of buzz surrounding this exciting event and spaces are limited so make sure to book in advance by messaging Mad Home Co on Facebook.