Cultural Programme, Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
15 – 20 March 2011
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
17:00 – 18:30
Middle East Meets Far East
A Literary Bridge Between the UAE and Korea
Speakers:
Munyol Yi, born in Seoul in 1948, is a Korean author and political commentator. His earlier work
articulates life’s dilemmas and the agony of romantic love. He later turned to history and politics,
centring his books on social problems and the abuse of power. Yi has enjoyed immense popularity for his
modern adaptations of historical events and dramas. His play Foxhunt (1994) about Empress
Myeongseong was adapted into the musical The Last Empress, which was performed in London, New
York and other major cities.
Jooyoung Kim was born in 1939. He studied creative writing at Seorabol University and won the New
Writer’s Prize for his novel Dormancy in 1971. Among the many honours he has received are the 1993
Republic of Korea Literary Arts Prize and the 2002 Kim Dongri Literature Prize. He is considered to be one
of the most entertaining storytellers in Korea. Each of his novels is a portrait of the lives of Korean
people throughout history, and he is considered to be one of the most entertaining storytellers in Korea.
Minjeong Kim is a Korean publisher and poet. She was born in 1976 and studied creative writing at
Chung-Ang University before winning the New Writer's Award in 1999. She has published two collections
of poetry: The Flying Hedgehog Lass (2005) and She Started to Feel for the First Time (2009). In 2007, she
received the Park In-Hwan Literature Award.
Host: Nasser Al Dhaheri is an Emirati journalist, writer and photographer born in al-Ain. He is the Chief
Executive Editor of Dar al-Sayyad al-Lubnaniyya, Fairuz Magazine, Al-Idari Magazine and Faris Magazine,
and the publisher and Chief Editor of Hudhud, the international electronic newspaper which appears in
Arabic, English, French and Spanish.
Brought to you by the Korea Literature Translation Institute l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
17:30 – 18:30
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How to Understand the Arabs in the Gulf
Get Tips from the Cultural Expert Ali Alsaloom
Ali Alsaloom is an expert in Emirati culture. His television show, Ask Ali, reaches thousands, as does his
column in The National’s M Magazine. His writing also appears in the newspaper Emarat Alyoum. His
website, www.ask-ali.com, answers questions on topics related to the Gulf, UAE culture and Islam.
Following the Ask Ali Mini-Guide on Abu Dhabi, Ali will premiere at the fair his new cultural and business
guidebook on Dubai. Come and ask Ali everything you always wanted to know about Arab culture and
how to do business with the Gulf.
Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
18:45 – 19:45
Sheikh Zayed Book Awards Panel
Brought to you by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
18:45 – 19:30
Meet Maryam Al Saedi
Maryam Al Saedi is an Emirati writer, born in 1974 in Al Ain. A rising young literary talent, she has
published two collections of short stories: Mariam and the Good Fortune (which was translated into
German), and I Look Smart. Her short story The Old Woman was included in the Denys Johnson-Davies
collection In a Fertile Desert (2009).
Brought to you by Qalam l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
19:15 – 20:15
Nayyaf Saggar Reads His Poetry
Nayyaf Saggar, from Saudi Arabia, is considered an outstanding member of the new generation of
Nabati poets. His works have appeared in newspapers and magazines in the Gulf and have been
commented by many critics in the Arab world. He has taken part in numerous poetry festivals and has
written two collections of poems, My Heart Prostrated and Ghoshsham.
Brought to you by the Poetry Academy l Arabic l Venue: Poetry Forum
20:00 – 21:00
Meet the Winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011.
The nominees are:
Mohammed Achaari for his novel The Arch and the Butterfly
Achaari is a Moroccan poet born in 1951. He has written 10 books of poetry, a short story collection and
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a novel. Achaari has worked in journalism and politics, including for a time holding the position of
Minister of Culture in Morocco.
Raja Alem for her novel The Doves' Necklace
A Saudi novelist, Alem began publishing her work in the cultural supplement of Riyadh newspaper and
wrote experimental plays for the theatre. She has won many prizes: in 2005, on the occasion of the 60 th
anniversary of the founding of UNESCO, the Arabic Women’s Creative Writing Prize; and the Lebanese
Literary Club Prize, in Paris, in 2008.
Khaled Al Berry for his novel An Oriental Dance
Al-Berry is an Egyptian writer born in 1972. He graduated from Cairo University with a degree in
Medicine in 1997. He is the author of an autobiography entitled The World is More Beautiful than
Heaven and another novel, Negative.
Bensalem Himmich for his novel My Tormentor
Himmich is a Moroccan novelist and scriptwriter with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Paris.
He has won many prizes, notably the Naguib Mahfouz Medal (Cairo, 2002) and the UNESCO Sharjah Prize
(Paris, 2003). He is the current Minister of Culture in Morocco. His novel The Man from Andalucia was
longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2009.
Amir Taj Al Sir for his novel The Hunter of the Chrysalises (or The Head Hunter)
Born in 1960 in Sudan, Al-Sir studied medicine in Egypt and at the British Royal College of Medicine. His
most important works are The Dowry of Cries, The Copt’s Worries, The French Perfume and The Crawling
of the Ants.
Miral Al-Tahawy for her novel Brooklyn Heights
Al-Tahawy is an Egyptian writer currently working as Assistant Professor of Arabic Literature at the
University of North Carolina. Her works include the novels The Tent, The Blue Aubergine and The
Strumming of the Gazelles as well as academic essays.
Brought to you by the International Prize for Arabic Fiction l Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English
Venue: KITAB Sofa
Wednesday, 16 March 2010 – A Day in France
10:00 – 10:45
From Arabic to French
Taking Children on a Journey Through Languages
Come discover the similarities between French and Arabic.
Nadia Roman is a French author and schoolteacher working with students from difficult backgrounds
who are not naturally inclined to read. Nadia met with Algerian authors and publishers in order to
produce books for French and North African children; this collaboration resulted in Kalimagier, a picture
book presenting the mutual borrowing of words between French and Arabic.
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Lazhari Labter is an Algerian journalist, poet and publisher. He studied French literature and published
his first collection of poems, Novembre, mon amour, in 1978.
Brought to you by the Alliance Française l Arabic-English-French l Venue: Poetry Forum
11:15 – 12:00
Meet Illustrator Nicole Lambert
Nicole Lambert was born in Paris. She studied drawing at the École des Arts Décoratifs and the École des
Beaux-Arts in Paris. She quickly became one of the major stylists and industrial designers for children,
creating toys, furniture, clothes, posters, logos and numerous illustrations (for Daniel Hechter, Elle and
many others). In 1983 she published the first instalment of her comic strip Les Triplés in the magazine
Madame Figaro. Her book Petits Européens, which shows the lives and habits of the children of the EU,
has become a cult hit. In 1998, Nicole founded her own publishing house.
Brought to you by the Alliance Française l Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English-French l Venue:
Discussion Forum
11:45 – 12:30
Strom
The Thrills of a Museum
Before the Louvre Abu Dhabi becomes a fixture in the region, discover a mystery novel set in Le Louvre in
Paris – a place filled with magic and wonder. It was during a night visit of the museum that Emmanuelle
and Benoît de Saint Chamas got the idea for Strom, a fantastic saga full of imagination.
Speakers:
Emmanuelle and Benoît de Saint-Chamas are Knights in the French Order of Arts and Letters (Chevaliers
de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres). Benoit assists the President of the Louvre in Paris with international
affairs and Emmanuelle is a conference lecturer at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris.
Host:
Etienne Cazin, Deputy Cultural Counsellor at the French Embassy, UAE
Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English-French l Venue: KITAB Sofa
13:15 – 14:15
Conversation with Kénizé Mourad
Kénizé Mourad is a French novelist and journalist, born in Paris in 1940. Her mother was the
granddaughter of the Ottoman Sultan Mourad V, and her father was an Indian Rajah. She studied
psychology and sociology at the Sorbonne. In 1987 her bestselling novel about her family’s story, De la
part de la princesse morte (Regards from the Dead Princess), was published and translated into more
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than thirty languages. In 2003, she published Our Sacred Land: Voices of the Palestine-Israeli Conflict. Her
latest book, Dans la ville d'or et d'argent, was published in 2010.
Host:
Özge Calafato, journalist and author, currently working for the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, UAE
Followed by a book signing l French-Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
14:15 – 15:15
Spirit of Adventure
The Travels of Athanasius Kircher
Jean-Marie Blas de Roblès studied philosophy at the Sorbonne and history at the Collège de France.
After graduating, he taught French around the world. He started to write fiction in 1982, while living in
Brazil. In 2008, he published Là où les tigres sont chez eux, which received many awards, including the
Prix Médicis. He has been a member of the French Archeological mission in Lybia since 1986, and
founded the Archéologies series of the Edisud publishing house, for which he wrote several
popularization titles.
Brought to you by the Institut Français l Arabic-English-French l Venue: Discussion Forum
15:00 – 16:00
Writing Bilingual Poetry
Two Algerian Authors Read Their Poems
Inaam Bioud was born in Damascus in 1953 to a Syrian mother and an Algerian father. In 1966, the
family moved to Algiers, where she attended the Egyptian High School and had her first poems published
in the Algerian press. In 2004 Inaam became the founding director of the Higher Arab Institute for
Translation of the Arab League in Algiers. She published her first, bilingual collection of poetry Rasâ’il lam
tursal/Poste restante (Unsent Letters) in 2003. Her first novel, Assamek lâ yubâlî (The Fish Don't Care),
published in 2004, was awarded the Prix Malek Haddad.
Lazhari Labter is an Algerian journalist, poet and publisher. He studied French literature and published
his first collection of poems, Novembre, mon amour, in 1978, followed by Florilège pour Yasmina (1981),
Yasmina ou les sept pierres de mon collier d’amour (2001) and Le pied de Bilkis sur le pavé de cristal
(2005). In 1995, he published Journalistes algériens, entre le bâillon et les balles, an account of
assassinations of journalists in his country.
Brought to you by the Alliance Française l Arabic-French l Venue: Poetry Forum
15:30 – 16:30
Le Château de Versailles
A Palace and a Book
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Open the doors of Versailles, France’s most prestigious palace. Its former Director General, Pierre
Arizzoli-Clémentel, main author of the large-format book entitled Versailles, guides you through this
magnificent monument which continues to exert such a strong influence on the popular imagination.
François de Waresquiel, publisher of the book, explains how this remarkable volume was created, and
both participants will answer questions from the audience.
Speakers:
Pierre Arizzoli-Clémentel, former Director General of the Château de Versailles, France
François de Waresquiel, President of Citadelles & Mazenod, France
Host:
Philip Jodidio, former Chief Editor of Connaissance des Arts and author of more than 80 books on
architecture and art, Switzerland
Arabic-English-French l Venue: Discussion Forum
17:00 – 18:00
Meet Patrick Chamoiseau
Patrick Chamoiseau is a French novelist, playwright and essayist born in Fort-de-France, Martinique in
1953, whose particular interests are the sociopolitical and literary status of French Creole and the
affirmation of Martinican cultural identity. After studying law in Paris, he returned to Martinique, where
he wrote on these themes in Éloge de la créolité (1989), with R. Confiant and Jean Bernabé, and Lettres
créoles (1991), co-authored with Confiant. The same issues are also addressed in Chamoiseau's
autobiographical trilogy, Une enfance créole, as well as in Chronique des sept misères (Chronicle of Seven
Miseries, 1986) and Solibo magnifique (Magnificent Solibo, 1988). His novel Texaco won the 1992 Prix
Goncourt and was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Host:
Vénus Khoury-Ghata, author and translator, France
Brought to you by the Institut Français l Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English-French l Venue:
KITAB Sofa
17:45 – 19:15
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
A Vision for the Future
What was the reasoning behind the creation of the Louvre Abu Dhabi? Come and explore its scientific
programmes, architecture and publishing plans together with a prestigious group of local and
international guests.
Host:
Philip Jodidio, former Chief Editor of Connaissance des Arts and author of more than 80 books on
architecture and art, Switzerland
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Arabic-English-French l Venue: Discussion Forum
18:30 – 19:30
Conversation with Michel Deguy
Michel Deguy, born in Paris in 1930, is a French poet and philosopher, the founder and editor-in-chief of
Po&sie since 1972, and the editor of Les Temps Modernes, the journal founded by Jean-Paul Sartre. He is
the former president of the Collège international de philosophie and of the Maison des écrivains. He has
translated, among others, Martin Heidegger, Dante Alighieri and various American poets. Michel Deguy
has written over thirty books published in France and translated into many languages, and he has
received numerous awards, among which the 1998 Grand Prix National de la Poésie, the 2000 Grand Prix
de la Société des Gens de Lettres, and the 2004 Grand Prix de poésie de l'Académie Française. Michel
Deguy is currently professor of French literature at the University of Paris VIII.
Arabic-English-French l Venue: KITAB Sofa
19:30 – 20:30
Vénus Khoury-Ghata Reads Her Poetry
Vénus Khoury-Ghata is a Lebanese author and translator. She has published twenty novels and
collections of poetry, among which Quelle est la nuit parmi les nuits, (Which is the Night of Nights, 2004),
La Maison aux orties (Nettle House, 2006) and Sept pierres pour la femme adultère (Seven Stones for
Adulterous Women, 2007). She has received many literary awards, including the Grand Prix de Poésie de
l'Académie Française (2009) and the Grand Prix Guillevic de Poésie de Saint-Malo (2010). Vénus also sits
on ten literary prize committees and created the Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie (Five
Continents of Francophony Award).
Arabic-French l Venue: Poetry Forum
20:15 – 21:30
French Literature and Its History
Speakers:
Patrick Dandrey was born in 1950. He is a professor at the Paris-Sorbonne University and has held
visiting professorships in Russia, the USA, Switzerland and Romania. An expert on 17th century French
culture and literature and on the history of melancholy, he has written close to thirty books and penned
one hundred essays on these topics. He regularly takes part in radio and television programmes in
France. His latest publication is Quand Versailles était conté: La cour de Louis XIV par les écrivains de son
temps. He is a member of the Société Royale du Canada and President of the Société Jean de La
Fontaine.
Denis Labouret
Brought to you by the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi l Arabic-English-French l Venue: Discussion
Forum
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Thursday, 17 March 2011
10:00 – 10:45
How I Became a Writer
Our Inspiration. Our Philosophy. Our Life.
We all have things to say, stories to tell and feelings to express, but not all of us manage to put our ideas
in a book! Come and meet two authors who did, hear them talk about how they started to write – and
be inspired…
Ulf Stark is one of Sweden’s most famous authors. He has written more than 30 titles – from picture
books to novels for young readers, and he has adapted several of them into film scripts. Stark has
received awards such as the August Prize and the German Youth Literature Award, as well as an Emmy
for an original television programme. His books, characterised by their humour and courage, have been
translated into 30 languages.
Mahmoud Shuqair is a Palestinian author, born in Jerusalem in 1941. He received a BA in Philosophy
and Sociology from the University of Damascus in 1965. He worked in journalism for several years, and
was a general director in the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. Shuqair has published fifteen works of
fiction, including My Cousin Condoleeza (2004), as well as sixteen children’s books. He was the winner of
the Short Story Prize of the Jordanian Writers Association in 1991.
Brought to you by the Swedish Embassy l Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue: Poetry
Forum
11:00 – 11:45
Growing Pains
Arabic Comics for Teenagers
What draws teenage readers to comics and how can comics reflect the teenage problems of “growing
pains”?
Speakers:
Fatima Sharafeddine was born in Beirut in 1966. She worked for two years as a primary school teacher
in Texas and taught Arabic language and culture at Rice University. She has published more than fifty
books, several of which have been translated into various languages. Sharafeddine is an active member
of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in the Brussels and Beirut branches. She was
nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2010 and 2011.
Magdy Al Shafee is a leading Egyptian illustrator and comics artist. A pharmacist by profession, he
became interested in comics during his travels to Europe. Since then he has authored a number of comic
books which are hugely popular with teenagers, as well as the graphic novel Metro.
Host:
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Alexandra Büchler, Director of Literature Across Frontiers, UK
Brought to you by Literature Across Frontiers l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
11:30 – 12:30
12 Monologues in Performance
A group of actors presents a selection of worldwide theatre masterpieces, including works by Euripides,
Shakespeare and Molière as well as Emirati playwrights.
Arabic-English-French l Venue: Poetry Forum
12:00 – 13:00
The History of Franco-Arabic Linguistic Exchanges
Between the seventh and the ninth centuries, the Arabic language spread beyond its native Arabia. It has
left a vast quantity of durable traces in the idioms of Spanish, Italian, French and other European
languages.
Speaker:
Henriette Walter served as Director of the Phonology Department at the École Pratique des Hautes
Études at the Sorbonne in Paris. She has published a great number of books on etymology and linguistics,
among them Arabesques: l’aventure de la langue arabe en Occident.
Brought to you by the Institut Français l l Arabic-English-French l Venue: Discussion Forum
13:00 – 14:00
Meet a Sheikh Zayed Book Award Winner
Brought to you by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
14:30 – 15:30
Meet Habib Selmi
Habib Selmi was born in Al-’Ala, Tunisia in 1951. To date he has published seven novels and two
collections of short stories. A number of his works have been translated into English, German and
French, including Ushaq Bayya (Bayya's Lovers), published in 2001, and his latest novel, The Scents of
Marie-Claire, which was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2009. Since 1985 Selmi
has lived in Paris, where he teaches Arabic literature.
Host:
Samuel Simon, author, co-founder of Banipal magazine and editor of kikah.com, UK
Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
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16:15 –17:15
Ahmed Rashid Thani Reads His Poetry
Ahmed Rashid Thani is an Emirati poet, born in Khor Fakan. He graduated from the UAE University in
1985 and has worked as a journalist and in various cultural institutions within the UAE. He has written for
the theatre and done research on oral culture. Among his poetry collections are Blood of the Candle, The
Edge of the Rooms, Sitting in the Morning by the Sea and The Night Comes and Takes Me.
Brought to you by Qalam l Followed by a book signing l Arabic l Venue: Poetry Forum
16:30 – 17:30
The Literature of the Maghreb
A Debate Between North African Writers
Speakers
Habib Selmi was born in Al-’Ala, Tunisia in 1951. To date he has published seven novels and two
collections of short stories. A number of his works have been translated into English, German and
French, including Ushaq Bayya (Bayya's Lovers), published in 2001, and his latest novel, The Scents of
Marie-Claire, which was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2009. Since 1985 Selmi
has lived in Paris, where he teaches Arabic literature.
Hassouna Mosbahi is a Tunisian writer, literary critic and freelance journalist born in Kairouan in 1950.
He moved to Munich in 1985. In 2000, he won the Munich Fiction Prize for the German translation of his
novel Tarshish Hallucination. Apart from a travel book and non-fiction pieces, he has published six novels
and four collections of short stories in Arabic. His short story The Tortoise (published in Banipal
magazine) was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2001.
Bensalem Himmich is a Moroccan novelist and scriptwriter with a PhD in Philosophy from the University
of Paris. He has won many prizes, notably the Naguib Mahfouz Medal (Cairo, 2002) and the UNESCO
Sharjah Prize (Paris, 2003). He is the current Minister of Culture in Morocco. His novel The Man from
Andalucia was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2009.
Moncef Mezghanni is a Tunisian poet, born in Sfax in 1954. He started his career as a teacher and he has
worked in the Ministries of Education and Information. Mezghanni is currently the director of the Maison
de la Poésie in Tunis, and works in radio, television and the cinema. He has written two stories and two
plays for children, one of which is in verse (Hisân al-Rîh, The Horse of the Wind).
Lazhari Labter is an Algerian journalist, poet and publisher. He studied French literature and published
his first collection of poems, Novembre, mon amour, in 1978, followed by Florilège pour Yasmina (1981),
Yasmina ou les sept pierres de mon collier d’amour (2001) and Le pied de Bilkis sur le pavé de cristal
(2005). In 1995, he published Journalistes algériens, entre le bâillon et les balles, an account of
assassinations of journalists in his country.
Host:
Samuel Simon, author, co-founder of Banipal magazine and editor of kikah.com, UK
Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
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17:30 – 18:30
Conversation with Oya Baydar
Oya Baydar is a Turkish author, born in 1940. She wrote her first novel, God Forgot his Children, while
still a student at Notre Dame de Sion High School in Istanbul. She taught at Hacettepe and Istanbul
Universities until she was imprisoned in 1971 for political reasons. She had to flee from Turkey after the
coup d’état of September 1980 and lived in Germany for about twelve years as a political refugee. In her
work, she depicts the collapse of the socialist system. The human dimension of the political upheavals
she witnessed is prominent in her short story collection Farewell Alyosha, for which she won the 1991
Sait Faik Short Story Award. Among other prizes, she received the Orhan Kemal Novel Award in 2000.
Her latest novel, Kayıp Söz (Lost Words), was published in 2008.
Host:
Özge Calafato, journalist and author, currently working for the Abu Dhabi Film Festival
Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
17:45 – 18:45
Emirati Authors Write for Emirati Children
New Children’s Books for the UAE
What do Emirati children want in a children’s book? Emirati authors explored this question in a three-day
workshop organised by the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, in response to the increasing demand for Emirati
children’s books and promoting the local children’s book industry. Participants and instructors will
present the results of the workshop and will be joined onstage by well-known Emirati children’s book
authors, including Maitha Al Khayat, to discuss the importance and future of children’s books in the UAE.
Brought to you by the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
19:00 – 20:00
Survival
In the Folds of War
Writing about war, by tradition, focuses on the battlefield. There is, however, another focus: a literature
of those who survive through war. There are times when war does not blanket a community completely,
when it leaves spaces of relative freedom. This lecture represents a search for a literature which deals
with the survivors inside. It attempts to delineate the shape of that genre and forge a case for its
importance, perhaps a celebration of it, perhaps a manifesto.
Michael Beard is the Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of English at the University of North Dakota,
where he has taught since 1979. Among Beard’s scholarly focuses are comparative literature and the
modern period and literary criticism. He is the co-editor of Middle Eastern Literatures, and he writes
articles, reviews, translations and books, including Hedayat's ‘Blind Owl’ as a Western Novel, a seminal
text in modern Persian literary studies, Naguib Mahfouz: From Regional Fame to Global Recognition (co-
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editor) and Walking with the Wind by Abbas Kiarostami (translated from Persian and co-edited with
Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak). Beard has translated extensively from Persian and Arabic, including the works of
Iranian poet Esmail Khoi and Lebanese poet Henri Zoghaib.
Brought to you by the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute l Arabic-English l Discussion Forum
19:00 – 20:00
Mohammed Achaari Reads His Poetry
Mohammed Achaari is a Moroccan poet born in 1951. He has written 10 books of poetry, a short story
collection and a novel. Achaari has worked in journalism and politics, including for a time holding the
position of Minister of Culture in Morocco.
Arabic l Venue: Poetry Forum
20:00 – 21:00
Conversation with Jostein Gaarder
When Jostein Gaarder wrote Sophie’s World in 1991, he believed that a novel on the history of
philosophy would appeal only to a specialist readership. In 1995 the book was the most-sold novel in the
world. To date Sophie’s World has been translated into 53 languages and has sold over 30 million copies.
Jostein Gaarder's other works, both children's books and adult novels such as The Solitaire Mystery,
Through a Glass, Darkly, Vita Brevis, The Ringmaster’s Daughter and The Orange Girl have proved hugely
popular and have been published in a host of countries. His latest book is The Castle in the Pyrenees,
published in 2010.
Host:
Hissa al Dhaheri, Columnist, Adjunct Professor at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Followed by a book signing l English-Arabic l Venue: KITAB Sofa
20:15 – 21:00
Meet Sheikh Zayed Book Award Winners
Brought to you by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
20:30 – 21:30
Al Ain Raps!
Live Performance by Illusion and F3L
Illusion is a self-taught singer, songwriter and composer from the UAE. One of her main projects is a
song entitled The Fight, about the current situation in the Middle East. She performs it in collaboration
with F3L, a group of hip-hop and rap artists and music producers originally from Palestine, Iraq and
Lebanon. They all live in Al Ain.
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English l Venue: Poetry Forum
Friday, 18 March 2011
17:15 – 18:00
Presentation on Arab Cuisine
Meet Chef Amy Riolo
Amy Riolo is an internationally recognised expert known for fusing the worlds of cuisine, culture and
history in her work. An award-winning author, popular lecturer, food historian, food writer, culinary
consultant and cooking instructor, she was dubbed “Cook to the Kings” by a Cairo newspaper in 2008.
Brought to you by the Show Kitchen l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
17:30 – 18:15
Ask Ali
Ali Alsaloom Answers Questions from the Audience About the UAE
The cultural expert Ali Alsaloom will tell you everything you have to know about the UAE. Alsaloom is an
expert in Emirati culture. His television show, Ask Ali, reaches thousands, as does his column in The
National’s M Magazine. His writing also appears in the newspaper Emarat Alyoum. His website,
www.ask-ali.com, answers questions on topics related to the Gulf, UAE culture and Islam.
Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
18:00 – 18:45
Hissa Hilal Reads Her Poetry
Hissa Hilal is a poet born to a family of Bedouins from the Al Malihan tribe in Saudi Arabia. Hilal has
been writing poetry in both classical and colloquial Arabic since the age of eleven. She worked as poetry
editor for the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, and has published two poetry collections, Lahjat Al
Hail and Al Nadawi. One of her most recent projects was editing a controversial collection of pre-1950s
poetry written by Bedouin women, titled Divorce and Kholu’ Poetry: A Reading of the Status of Women in
Tribal Society, Nabati Poetry as a Witness, published by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and
Heritage’s Poetry Academy. Hilal attracted attention with her fiercely critical poetry during the 2010
Million’s Poet contest, in which she finished third. She has drawn the wrath of Islamist conservatives and
received death threats on the Internet.
Brought to you by the Poetry Academy l Arabic l Venue: Poetry Forum
18:15 – 19:15
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Conversation with Francisco Sionil José
Francisco Sionil José, born in Rosales in 1924, is one of the most widely read Filipino writers. His writings
have championed social justice and change to better the lives of average Filipino families throughout his
career. He attended the University of Santo Tomas but dropped out and turned to writing and journalism
in Manila. He edited various literary and journalistic publications, started a publishing house and
founded the Philippine branch of PEN. His novels and short stories depict the social underpinnings of
class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society. They have been translated into 22 languages and have
received numerous awards. The Pretenders (1962) is his most popular novel, along with the five-volume
Rosales Saga. His latest book, Vibora!, was published in 2008.
Brought to you by the Philippines Embassy l Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB
Sofa
18:45 – 19:45
Social Media
Histories of the Book for the Digital Age
How did the emergence of the print medium shape the development of modern Western culture?
Surveying images and artefacts drawn primarily from the social history of literature in the United States,
Tom Augst explores how individuals and communities responded to the newly pervasive presence of the
printed word in their lives. Describing the values, practices and institutions by which ordinary people
adapted to new forms of knowledge and communication made possible by the printing revolution, this
session explores the lessons that the past might offer to us as we confront the age of Internet.
Tom Augst is Associate Professor of English at NYU in New York, where he teaches courses in American
literature and culture. His writing focuses on literary history of the 19th century, interpreting diverse
forms of literacy and media in relation to questions about the nature of ethical practice, the organisation
of knowledge and the cultural politics of modern liberalism. He is the author of The Clerk’s Tale: Young
Men and Moral Life in 19th-Century America (Chicago, 2003), co-editor of Institutions of Reading: The
Social Life of Libraries in the United States (UMass, 2007) and co-editor of Cultural Agencies and
American Libraries (2001).
Brought to you by the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion
Forum
19:00 – 20:00
Moncef Mezghanni Reads His Poetry
Moncef Mezghanni is a Tunisian poet, born in Sfax in 1954. He started his career as a teacher and he has
worked in the Ministries of Education and Information. Mezghanni is currently the director of the Maison
de la Poésie in Tunis, and works in radio, television and the cinema. He has written two stories and two
plays for children, one of which is in verse (Hisân al-Rîh, The Horse of the Wind).
Arabic l Venue: Poetry Forum
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19:45 – 20:45
Meet Åsne Seierstad
Åsne Seierstad was born in 1970. She is a Norwegian journalist and the author of the bestselling books
With Their Backs to the World (2000) and One Hundred and One Days (2005). She graduated with
degrees in Russian and philosophy from Oslo University and worked as a foreign correspondent for
several Scandinavian newspapers and TV stations in Russia, China, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and the
US. In her latest book, The Angel of Grozny (2007), which was nominated for the Ryszard Kapuściński
Prize 2010, she witnesses the ongoing intensity of the Chechen conflict and the effects the war has had
on children and families. In The Bookseller of Kabul (2003) she describes the life of an Afghan family after
11 September.
Host:
Nick March, Editor of the Friday Review in The National, UAE
Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
20:15 – 21:30
Mahfouz and the Movies
A Homage to the Greatest Egyptian Writer
To celebrate the centenary of Naguib Mahfouz, a panel of literature and film specialists discuss his close
involvement with the cinema.
Speakers:
Annemarie Jacir has worked in independent film since 1994 and has written, directed and produced
films including A Post Oslo History (1998) and Like Twenty Impossible (2003). Her most recent film, Salt of
This Sea (2008), won the FIPRESCI Critics Award, and is her second work to debut as an Official Selection
of the Cannes Film Festival, as well as being the first feature film by a Palestinian female director. She is
curator and founder of the Dreams of a Nation Palestinian cinema project.
Anna Soler-Pont studied Arabic Language and Culture at the University of Barcelona while she began
her professional career in publishing. In 1992 she launched Pontas, a literary, film and TV agency that
represents a broad range of authors internationally. Pontas sells rights throughout the world in many
markets and across many media. The company is also involved in the production of feature films and TV
projects and in the organisation of international cultural events.
Philip Kennedy is the Faculty Director of the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, and Associate
Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies as well as Comparative Literature. As author or editor, he
has published many writings on Arabic literature, including The Wine Song in Classical Arabic Poetry: Abu
Nuwas and the Literary Tradition (1997), Abu Nuwas: A Genius of Poetry (2005), On Fiction and Adab in
Medieval Arabic Literature (2004) and Islamic Reflections, Arabic Musings (co-editor with Robert
Hoyland, 2004).
Host:
Peter Scarlet, Director of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, UAE
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Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
Saturday, 19 March 2011
11:00 – 12:00
Meet Sheikh Zayed Book Award Winners
Brought to you by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
12:30 – 13:30
Final Round
KITAB Read-Aloud Competition 2011
5th graders from Al Ain and Abu Dhabi compete for the title of Read-Aloud champion. Our winner from
last year will join a panel of judges to help pick up a winner from 8 finalists. Come and be entertained by
listening to a wonderful story, translated by KALIMA project, and support these young readers.
Arabic l Venue: Discussion Forum
13:15 – 14:15
Open Mic
Let us hear your favourite poem!
A unique opportunity for members of the public to take the stage: You are invited to pick up the
microphone and say the poem of your choice – all languages are welcome ...
Venue: Poetry Forum
13:45 – 14:45
Arabic Calligraphy
Style, Techniques and the Art of Arabic Calligraphy
Feeroozeh Golmohammadi was born in Tehran. She is an illustrator, painter, photographer and
miniaturist. At the University of Tehran she studied art, painting and design and took private classes with
masters such as Alkhas and Nahid Rasoolzadeh. Golmohammadi has exhibited her artwork and
photographs worldwide. She has illustrated award-winning children’s books and served as the Chief
Editor of Zan-e-Rooz, an Iranian women’s magazine. She directed the Iranian Cultural Centre in Pakistan
from 1984–1988.
Khalid al Jallaf is an Emirati artist, born in Dubai in 1962. He was first inspired to learn Arabic calligraphy
by the great Emirati artist Abdul Qader Al-Rais; later, the Iraqi calligrapher Nizar Al-Doori taught him the
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basic rules of styles and fonts. Khalid participates in exhibitions in the UAE and abroad. His artwork has
been acquired by museums and private collectors in Kuwait, France and the UAE. In his solo exhibition
Letters of Wisdom (Hunar Gallery), he presents more than twenty new pieces in the Qairawani, Nisaboori
and modern Kufic styles, as well as works that blend calligraphy and elements of Islamic architecture.
Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
14:45 – 15:30
12 Monologues in Performance
A group of actors presents a selection of worldwide theatre masterpieces, including works by Euripides,
Shakespeare and Molière as well as Emirati playwrights.
Organisers:
Nezar Andary, Professor of Literature and Cinema, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Yann Seweryn, Professor of French Language and Culture, Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, UAE
Arabic-English-French l Venue: Poetry Forum
15:45 – 16:30
Abdallah Al Jabri Reads His Poetry
Abdallah Al Jabri is an Emirati poet who became popular during the last edition of the Million’s Poet
competition. He represents the up-and-coming generation of Nabati poets of the UAE.
Brought to you by the Poetry Academy l Arabic l Venue: Poetry Forum
16:00 – 17:00
Conversation with Sylvia Nasar
Sylvia Nasar, born in Germany in 1947, is an American economist and author. She wrote A Beautiful
Mind (1994), the biography of mathematical genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash. The book won a
National Book Critics Circle Award and inspired the movie of the same name. She earned a Master’s
Degree in Economics from New York University in 1976, and conducted research for four years with
Nobel Laureate Wassily Leontief. In 2006, she published in The New Yorker an article containing the only
interview of Grigori Perelman, who solved the Poincaré conjecture but rejected the 2006 Fields Medal.
Nasar is a former economics correspondent for The New York Times and is currently the Knight Professor
of Journalism at Columbia University. Her husband is the noted economist Darryl McLeod.
Host:
Miguel Sousa Lobo, Assistant Professor of Decision Sciences, INSEAD, UAE
Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
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16:45 – 17:45
Young Muslims in the West
Identity and Integration
How does one grow up a Muslim in Europe and America? What are the cultural and personal challenges
faced by a Pakistani child raised in the UK? How did the events of 9/11 affect the lives of young Arabs in
America? Two authors share their experiences in a discussion on these questions of identity and
integration.
Speakers:
Moustafa Bayoumi is the author of How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in
America, which won an American Book Award and the Arab American Book Award for Non-Fiction. His
writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, The National, The Guardian,
CNN.com, The London Review of Books, The Nation and other publications. Bayoumi is also the co-editor
of The Edward Said Reader (Vintage) and editor of Midnight on Mavi Marmara: the Attack on the Gaza
Freedom Flotilla and How It Changed the Course of the Israel/Palestine Conflict. Bayoumi is a Professor of
English at Brooklyn College, City University of New York.
Zaiba Malik is an award-winning journalist who has worked extensively in television, print and radio on
a national and international level for the past decade. She has reported and produced news and current
affairs programmes and features for BBC News, Newsnight, Channel 4, Radio 4, The Guardian, The Los
Angeles Times and BBC World Service, among others. She has covered a variety of subjects, including
terrorism, immigration, community and social affairs, crime, education, health and foreign affairs. Malik
was recently named one of the twenty most influential black and Asian women in the UK. She was
awarded the Women in Film and Television Award for New Talent and received the Asian Women of
Achievement Award for Media Professional of the Year. Her first book, We Are a Muslim, Please – a
memoir about growing up as a British Muslim in England – has been featured on the BBC World Service
and in various national and international newspapers.
Host:
Alia Yunis, Arab-American writer, currently teaching Film and Television at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi,
UAE
Brought to you by the British Council l Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion
Forum
17:30 – 18:30
Meet Mahmoud Shuqair
Mahmoud Shuqair is a Palestinian author, born in Jerusalem in 1941. He received a BA in Philosophy
and Sociology from the University of Damascus in 1965. He worked in journalism for several years, and
was a general director in the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. Shuqair has published fifteen works of
fiction, including My Cousin Condoleeza (2004), as well as sixteen children’s books. He was the winner of
the Short Story Prize of the Jordanian Writers Association in 1991.
Host:
Mona Henning, Founder of Dar al Muna Publishing House, Sweden
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Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
18:00 – 19:00
Suheir Hammad Performs Her Poetry
Suheir Hammad is a Palestinian-American poet, author and political activist. She was born in Amman,
Jordan, in 1973. Her parents were Palestinian refugees who immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, in 1978.
Hammad was heavily influenced by Brooklyn's vibrant hip-hop scene. She also absorbed the stories her
parents and grandparents told her of life in their hometown of Lydda before the 1948 Palestinian
exodus, and of the suffering they endured afterward, first in the Gaza Strip and then in Jordan. When
hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons came across her piece First Writing Since, a poem describing her
reaction to the 11 September attacks, he signed her to a deal with HBO's Def Poetry Jam. She recited
original works on tour for the following two years. She published Born Palestinian, Born Black, Drops of
This Story and Zaatar Diva in 1996, and Breaking Poems in 2008. She is also an actress, having played the
lead role in Annemarie Jacir’s The Salt of This Sea (2008).
English l Venue: Poetry Forum
18:30 – 19:30
Outspoken
Women Writers of the Middle East
This panel will begin with a presentation of the Feminist Press, its history, goals, current mission and
publications – such as the series Women Write the World and the many books written by Middle Eastern
authors – emphasising the importance of a feminist press as a resource for writers and North American
readers to discover more about women's lives in the region. A discussion will follow on writing about the
Middle East, both in fiction and non-fiction, on the role of women in the region and on the current
situation in Iraq.
Speakers:
Haifa Zangana, born 1950 in Baghdad, is an Iraqi writer, artist and political activist. She is best known for
her novel Women on a Journey: Between Baghdad and London (2001). She grew up in Baghdad and
graduated from Baghdad University’s School of Pharmacy in 1974. In the early 1970s, Haifa was
incarcerated because of her activism in the Iraqi Communist Party, but she managed to escape
execution. She became the manager of the pharmaceutical unit of the PLO and spent 1975 moving
between Syria and Lebanon. Zangana is a founding member of the International Association of
Contemporary Iraqi Studies and a member of the advisory board of Brussel’s Tribunal on Iraq. Her latest
book is City of Widows: An Iraqi Woman’s Account of War and Resistance (Seven Stories, 2007).
Gloria Jacobs is Executive Director of the Feminist Press, a non-profit publisher affiliated with the City
University of New York. The Press has been publishing books by and for women around the globe for 36
years, and also publishes WSQ, the Women’s Studies Quarterly. A journalist, author and feminist activist,
Gloria Jacobs was for many years the Executive Editor of Ms. magazine. Her articles have appeared in
many publications, including The New York Times, The New York Daily News and The Guardian. Working
as a consultant for the United Nations, she edited and wrote several major reports on the status of
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women around the world, including a widely used study of the growing impact of HIV/AIDS on women in
developing countries. She is a board of Women’s eNews, an Internet news service that covers women’s
issues around the world in both English and Arabic.
Host:
Judith Miller, Professor of French at New York University, USA
Brought to you by the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute l Followed by a book signing l ArabicEnglish l Venue: Discussion Forum
19:15 – 20:15
Satchidanandan Reads His Poetry
Satchidanandan, born in Kerala in 1936, is an award-winning Indian author who writes primarily in
Malayalam, under the pseudonym Anand. It was the famous critic Govindan who helped Anand publish
his first novel Alkkoottam (Crowd) in 1970; this work was followed by three equally abstract successors:
Maranacertificate (Death Certificate), Abhayarthikal (Refugees) and Utharayanam. Anand earned wide
recognition as a Malayalam writer with Marubhoomikal Undakunnathu (The Deserts Come into
Existence) and Govardhanante Yaathrakal (The Journeys of Govardhanan). He has also written many
short stories, plays and articles about the plight of ordinary people who are exploited by the rich and the
powerful.
Host:
Nizar Said, Chief Editor, Siraj Malayalam Daily, UAE
Brought to you by the Siraj Malayalam Daily l Malayalam l Venue: Poetry Forum
19:45 – 20:45
Conversation with Breyten Breytenbach
A native of South Africa, Breyten Breytenbach is a distinguished painter, activist and writer of more than
30 books of poetry and numerous novels, short story compilations, essays and dramatic works. His prose
and poetry are in service of humanity: a committed opponent of apartheid, Breytenbach established the
resistance group Okhela for which he wrote the platform. From 1975-1982, he was a political prisoner
and served two terms of solitary confinement in South African prisons. His writing comes from the
anguished nightmares of his imprisonment – his most renowned work is the four-volume memoir of this
odyssey. A Season in Paradise (1973), The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist (1983), Return to
Paradise (1991), and Dog Heart: A Memoir (1999) have been translated into more than a dozen
languages. A French citizen since 1982, he currently divides his time between Europe, South Africa and
the USA and has taught at the University of Natal, Princeton, New York University and the Gorée
Institute in Dakar, Sénégal.
Host:
Philip Kennedy, Faculty Director of the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, UAE
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Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue: Poetry Forum
20:00 – 21:00
Suspense…
Writing Thrillers and Science Fiction in the Arab World
Speakers:
Ahmed Mourad was born in Egypt in 1978. He is photographer, graphic designer and the author of the
bestselling novel Vertigo (Merit, 2007). His latest novel Torab el-Mas (Diamond Dust, 2010), is already in
its second edition. Mourad is one of the few mystery/suspense writers in the Arab World, captivating his
readers with the extensive use of cliffhangers and complex integrated storylines.
Ahmed Khaled Towfik was born in 1962 in Tanta, Egypt. He graduated from Tanta University's medical
school in 1985. He joined the Modern Arab Association publishing company in 1992, and the following
year he began working on a collection of horror and science fiction novels titled Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa.
The first instalments were The Vampire and The Legend of the Werewolf, followed by 200 further titles
(among them Fantazia and Safari). In 2008 his politically minded work of fiction Utopia was published by
Dar Merit.
Brought to you by the Bloomsbury Qatar Publishing Foundation l Followed by a book signing l ArabicEnglish l Venue: Discussion Forum
20:30 – 21:30
12 Monologues in Performance
A group of actors presents a selection of worldwide theatre masterpieces, including works by Euripides,
Shakespeare and Molière as well as Emirati playwrights.
Arabic-English-French l Venue: Poetry Forum
Sunday, 20 March 2011
11:00 – 11:45
How to Make a Book
A book is a very special thing, and a beautiful object. But how is it made? An expert in the field will do a
presentation of all the skills and techniques required!
Speaker:
Balsam Saad received a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s of Business Administration
from the American University in Cairo. She is the Managing Director of Al-Balsam Publishing House and
Bookstore. Al-Balsam specialises in books for children and young adults; it strives to provide reading
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materials of outstanding content and design that will inspire, give hope and educate. Its aim is to revive
the culture, language and values of the Arab World through local publications, as well as translations to
and from Arabic, that are distributed globally.
Arabic l Venue: Poetry Forum
12:00 – 12:30
Short Story Award
Brought to you by M Magazine l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
13:30 – 14:30
The New Arabic Calligraphy
On the occasion of the launch of Libertade e Innovación, a bilingual book on Arabic calligraphy, we invite
you to a presentation on the contemporary styles of this unique art
Speakers:
Gema Martin Munoz, Director of the Casa Arabe Cultural Center and Professor of Sociology of the Arab
World at the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.
Jose Miguel Puerta Vilchez, Professor of Art History at the University of Granada, Spain.
Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
15:00 – 16:00
Celebrating the Centenary of Naguib Mahfouz
A discussion on the work of the great Egyptian Nobel Prize for Literature
Speakers:
Dr Ali Bin Tamim, Project Manager, Kalima; Chairman, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, UAE
Dr Salah Fadhl, Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, Ain Shams University, Egypt
Professor Philip Kennedy, Director of Faculty, New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, UAE
Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
16:00 – 17:00
Conversation with Manal Omar
Manal Omar is an Arab-American writer who started her career as a journalist in the Middle East in
1996, worked for UNESCO in Iraq in 1997–1998 and then served as regional coordinator for Women for
Women International. Omar has written several articles and essays on women’s rights and gender
equality in Iraq and contributed a short story to the anthology Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim
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Women Speak. She is the author of Barefoot in Baghdad (2010), an intimate look at the heartrending
struggle for freedom and identity in Iraq and the founder of muslims-vote.org, an online community
working towards empowering American Muslims to exercise the right to vote.
Brought to you by the Embassy of the United States l Followed by a book signing l Arabic-English l Venue:
KITAB Sofa
16:30 – 17:30
Literary Encounters Across Borders
German author Ingo Schulze meets Al Multaqa
On the occasion of the translation of his newest novel Adam and Evelyn into Arabic by Kalima, one of
Germany’s most important authors, Ingo Schulze will visit the Abu Dhabi Book Fair 2011 to initiate
“literary encounters across borders”. Bestselling author Schulze, winner of the several important German
book prizes and shortlisted twice for the prestigious Deutscher Buchpreis, will read from this latest novel
and enter into conversation with Asma Saddiq, founder of Abu Dhabi’s most influential book club “Al
Multaqa” to initiate “literary encounters across borders”. Asma Saddiq and Ingo Schulze will be joined by
Dr. Philip Laubach-Kiani, editor at the German publishing house Piper Verlag to explore Schulze’s work
“across borders” from different cultural perspectives.
Ingo Schulze is a German writer, born in Dresden in 1962. He studied Classical Philology at the University
of Jena until the German reunification. After the Wall fell, Schulze started a newspaper with friends and
was encouraged to write. He spent six months in St Petersburg, which was a source of inspiration for his
debut collection of short stories, 33 Moments of Happiness (1995). Schulze’s works have been translated
into tweenty languages and have earned a number of awards, including the prestigious Alfred Döblin
Prize and the Ernst Willner Prize for Literature.
Brought to you by the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region l Arabic-English l Venue: Discussion Forum
17:30 – 18:30
Meet Fatima Al Mazrouei
Fatima Al Mazrouei is an Emirati writer from Abu Dhabi. She holds a doctorate from Yarmuk University
in Jordan, and studied English Literature at Exeter University in the UK. She is a member of the United
National Council. She is the author of The Day of the Gazelles, a collection of short stories published by
Qalam.
Brought to you by Qalam l Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
18:15 – 19:15
The Choice of Fiction
Philosophy and the Lure of Literature
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The philosophical discourse took its shape and legitimacy by pretending to differ widely from the “poets’
fiction”. It tried time and again to stifle its status as a literary genre, seeing literature as incompatible
with its claims to truth and scientific rigour; nonetheless, this separation was repeatedly transgressed
and the frontier between philosophical writing and literature proved porous and shifting. And yet this
transgression has sometimes been a conscious and voluntary act on the part of philosophers. What did
this choice mean for them? What happens when literature ceases to be only an object for philosophy
and becomes a means to it, if not an end in itself?
Speaker:
Vincent Delecroix is a French academic and writer, born in Lille in 1969. He teaches Philosophy at the
Sorbonne University in Paris and writes on religion and philosophy. He is also an acclaimed literary
author, having received the Grand Prix de Littérature de l'Académie Française for his novel Tombeau
d'Achille (2008). Further literary works include a volume of short stories, La preuve de l'existence de Dieu,
and a series of novels: Retour à Bruxelles (2003); À la porte (2004), which was adapted for the theatre in
2007 by M. Bluwal and received two drama awards; Ce qui est perdu (2006), which won the prix Valéry
Larbaud; and La chaussure sur le toit (2007).
Brought to you by the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi l Arabic-English-French l Venue: Discussion
Forum
18:15 – 19:15
Translation Jam
Hear What Happens When Words Go Circulate from One Language to Another!
A poem in English will be translated consecutively in a series of other languages, and finally back to the
original: interesting discrepancies may ensue…
Host:
Paulo Horta, Assistant Professor of Literature, New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE
Arabic-English-French l Venue: Poetry Forum
19:30 – 20:30
Meet Thoppil Mohamed Meeran
Thoppil Mohamed Meeran, born in 1944, is an award-winning Indian author who writes in Tamil. He has
published novels – Oru Kadalora Kiramathin Kathai (The Story of Sea Side Village, 1988),
Turaimugam (Harbour, 1991), Koonan Thoppu (The Grove of a Hunchback, 1993) and Saivu Narkkali (The
Reclining Chair, 1995), which was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award – as well as a collection of short
stories, Thankarasu (1995).
Host:
KM Abbas, novelist, editor of Siraj Malayalam Daily, UAE
Brought to you by the Siraj Malayalam Daily l Malayalam l Venue: Discussion Forum
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19:30 – 20:30
Arab Hip-Hop
A Discussion on Arab Hip-Hop Artists: From the UAE to the USA
Speakers:
Suheir Hammad is a Palestinian-American poet, author and political activist. She was born in Amman,
Jordan, in 1973. Her parents were Palestinian refugees who immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, in 1978.
Hammad was heavily influenced by Brooklyn's vibrant hip-hop scene. She also absorbed the stories her
parents and grandparents told her of life in their hometown of Lydda before the 1948 Palestinian
exodus, and of the suffering they endured afterward, first in the Gaza Strip and then in Jordan. When
hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons came across her piece First Writing Since, a poem describing her
reaction to the 11 September attacks, he signed her to a deal with HBO's Def Poetry Jam. She recited
original works on tour for the following two years. She published Born Palestinian, Born Black, Drops of
This Story and Zaatar Diva in 1996, and Breaking Poems in 2008. She is also an actress, having played the
lead role in Annemarie Jacir’s The Salt of This Sea (2008).
Rola Shammas was born in Tehran and is based in Dubai. She studied international relations in
Spain, and has worked as a theatrical costume and jewellery designer and yoga instructor. She
has recently produced television commercials, art programmes, animated films and
documentaries. Her work includes the experimental video installation Too Close Too Far (2008)
and The Freehold Generation (2010), a documentary about the young rappers based in Al Ain
performing at the Book Fair on Thursday 17 March.
Arabic-English l Venue: KITAB Sofa
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