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The DC Arab Literature Festival: Narrating the Middle East, May 17-18 (Free)
November 22 @ 14:46
Register Here
Start: May 17th at 10 AM End: May 18th at 6 PM Cost: Free
The Middle East Institute’s Arts and Culture Center and The Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation in partnership with the Cheuse Center for International Writers at George Mason University present a two-day, virtual literature festival featuring writers and poets from the Middle East. Panels explore the works and experiences of leading and emerging Arab authors and poets and the challenges of publishing and translating works from the Middle East.
Keynote Speaker: Rabih Alameddine, May 17, 10:00
May 17, 10:45-12:00
Arab Fiction Now & the Challenges of Writing in and about the Region
This panel of leading regional and diaspora authors will discuss the inspiration for their most recent novels and the social, cultural and political context informing their work. The panel will also explore the challenges that Arab writers in the region and its diaspora face as they reflect on societies dealing with globalization, trauma, gender, sexuality and identity.
Ahmed Naji Egypt, Using Life, 2017
Zaina ArafatUS-Palestine, You Exist Too Much, 2021 Lambda Literary Award
Rasha Abbas Syria-Germany, The Gist of It, 2019
Matthew Davis (moderator)Founding director of the Cheuse International Writers Center at George Mason University and Assistant Professor Creative Writing George Mason University.
Monday, 12:30-2:00
Modern Poetry in the Arab World
This panel features Arab poets who will share their poems in English and the vision that drives their inspiration.
Nujoom al GhannemUAE, Asqoto fi Nafsi (I Fall into Myself), 2012
Zeina Hashem BeckLebanon, Author, “O”, ( forthcoming in July 2022)
Dunya MikhailIraq-US, In Her Feminine Sign, 2019
Nathalie Handal (moderator)Palestine-USA-France, poet, playwright, translator