Forthcoming Events
Thursday 9th July, 2009
Frome Festival 2009 An exciting event, the first of its kind at the Frome Festival: three Arab writers come together to give readings and to talk about their work. Banipal magazine's edtor Margaret Obank introduces Jordanian poet and author Amjad Nasser, whose first collection in English translation, Shepherd of Solitude, is just published by Banipal Books; Palestinian writer and author of the Arabic prize-winning novel, We Are All Equally Far From Love, Adania Shibli; and Iraqi author Samuel Shimon, who wrote the Arabic best-seller An Iraqi in Paris. Peter Clark OBE, who lives locally, will introduce a film about the new International Prize for Arabic Fiction (of which he is a trustee), showing this year's short-listed authors. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussions, a chance to meet the authors personally at the end and buy translations of their work. There will be Middle Eastern food and refreshments. Adults only.
Venue: Holy Trinity Church and Hall Trinity Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 3DF 01373 Location: See google map
Tickets: £8 / £6 Box Office tel: 01373 455420 Box office hours: Mon-Fri 9.30am - 2.30pm * Sat 9.30am - 5.00pm email: cheeseandgraintickets@hotmail.com For more info: www.fromefestival.co.uk
*** |  |
Saturday 11th July, 2009
The Ledbury Poetry Festival
This event sees the launch of two new collections of poetry translated from Arabic and published by Banipal Books, Shepherd of Solitude by Amjad Nasser and Knife Sharpener by Sargon Boulus. Amjad Nasser is a Jordanian poet and works in London as managing editor and cultural editor of Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily newspaper. Born in al-Turra, Jordan, in 1955, he is a major contributor to today's Arab poetry scene and has published eight volumes of poetry and two travel memoirs. Shepherd of Solitude is his first collection in English translation. A selection of his poetry was published in French translation, Ascension de l'amant, with a Foreword by Adonis, (1998), also one in Italian (2001) and one in Spanish (2002). This event will also celebrate the late Iraqi poet Sargon Boulus, one of the best known and influential of contemporary Arab poets, who died in 2007. Iraqi author Samuel Shimon will introduce and show his short film of Sargon Boulus, who talks about his poetry and reads two of his own poems, including the title poem, Knife Sharpener. With further readings from the collection by Sinan Antoon. Ticket: £8 Event 2 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm Moroccan Poetry Reading, The Barn at Hellens, Much Marcle Morocco is a country which writes, reads and celebrates poetry all year round, which saw the establishment of the Arab world's first and to date most serious House of Poetry in 1996, and which is home of the Casablanca International Poetry Festival. Hassan Najmi has published four collections of Ouidad (Widad) Benmoussa has published two collections, including Between Two Clouds in 2006. Her first collection, The Imminent Root (2001), established her as a poet to watch. Siham Bouhlal lives in Paris and has three collections Sinan Antoon is a poet, novelist, translator and filmmaker. He was born in Baghdad and moved to the USA after the 1991 Gulf War. He has translated the poems of Hassan Najmi and will introduce the poets. The evening's readings will be in English, Arabic, and French. Following the performance Moroccan food will be served in Hellens and afterwards you are free to explore its lovely grounds. Bar available. Ticket: £20 Or contact Ledbury directly: Box office information How to get there - Map and directions For more info: http://www.poetry-festival.com/
*** |  |
Monday 13th July, 2009
The London Review Bookshop Three distinguised Moroccan Poets – Hassan Najmi, Ouidad Benmoussa and Siham Bouhlal – celebrate the vibrancy of Moroccan poetry with readings from their work in Arabic, French and English, assisted by Iraqi poet and novelist Sinan Antoon and translator and writer Lulu Norman. Q&A session after the readings, and . . . . Address: 14 Bury Place, London, WC1A 2JL Tel: 020 7269 9030 There are only a limited number of places, so book now. To book tickets online at the LRB website, click here
The London Review Bookshop event is organised in association with Banipal.
The Moroccan poets visit is supported by The Arab British Centre and The Banipal Trust for Arab Literature.
|
poems, one novel and two books of essays. He worked for many years as arts editor of Al-Ittihad al-Ishtiraki newspaper. He was President of the Moroccan Union of Writers from 1998 to 2005 and is presently director-general of the Book and Publications Department of Morocco's Ministry of Culture. 
of her own poems, Poèmes bleus (2005), Songe d'une nuit berbère ou La tombe d'épines (2007) and her latest Corps Lumière (2008) with a fourth in preparation. She translates to French medieval Arabic texts and contemporary Arabic poetry. 
