Mar 4 \u2014 Mar 12, various venues, Toulouse\u2014 more info<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n This year, to mark its 10th<\/sup> edition, Cin\u00e9-Palestine is offering a host of meetings, film screenings, initiatives in schools, alongside a photo exhibition titled Childhood in Gaza<\/em>. Also taking place is a concert titled Artists with Palestine<\/em>\u00a0, a contemporary dance workshop led by Maher Shawamreh as well as readings of literary works, notably\u00a0Songs of the Streets<\/em>, a poetic and musical journey taken from a collection by the late poet Samih al-Qasim<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mar 7 \u2014 April 13, London \u2014more info<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n October Gallery<\/a> presents\u00a0Celestial Blue<\/em>, a solo exhibition of new works by the renowned Algerian artist Rachid kora\u00efchi<\/a>. In accordance with Kora\u00efchi\u2019s predilection for the magical number 7 \u2013 considered significant in all the major traditions \u2013\u00a0Celestial Blue<\/em>\u00a0celebrates the artist\u2019s 77th year. This exhibition includes canvas works interspersed with statuesque steel sculptures, in his characteristically figurative forms influenced by a fascination with signs: symbols, glyphs and ciphers drawn from a variety of languages and cultures.<\/p>\n The works on canvas are inspired by the nasibs<\/em> that the 12th century Sufi mystic and writer, Ibn \u2018Arabi, set down in his book of love poems,\u00a0The Interpreter of Desires<\/em>\u00a0(1215). Each large, square canvas presents an original design produced in white on an indigo blue ground that improvises upon one of the original poems.<\/p>\n Celestial Blue<\/em> continues Kora\u00efchi\u2019s unique exploration of the spiritual path and its fundamental message of Tolerance for all. His art reveals how ancient practices still have relevance today.<\/p>\n Mar 8 \u2014April 20, Mimosa House, London \u2014 more info<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Mimosa House<\/a> presents the first chapter of transfeminisms, a major survey touring show, that brings to light a multiplicity of urgent, pressing and ongoing issues faced by women, queer and trans people across the globe.<\/p>\n The first chapter features artists whose work engages with political protest, in both public and private spheres, unpacking complexities related to freedom of speech, sexual and reproductive freedom, and struggles against state violence and Western colonisation. It will include works by Zainab Fasiki<\/a> (Morocco), Kyuri Jeon (South Korea), Alex Martinis Roe (Australia), Fatima Mazmouz<\/a> (Morocco), Ada Pinkston (U.S.), Bahia Shehab<\/a> (Lebanon) and Lorena Wolffer (Mexico).<\/p>\n According to the organizers, the title of the exhibition,\u00a0transfeminisms<\/em>, is \u201cdeliberately provocative. The prefix \u201ctrans\u201d implies \u2018across, beyond, through, on the other side of, to go beyond\u2019; while the \u2018s\u2019 in \u2018feminisms\u2019 accounts for and recognises the innumerable definitions of feminism worldwide. Our intention is for transfeminisms to be understood as an all-inclusive, de-colonial term \u2013 one that takes us across and beyond feminisms (as in: transcultural, transcontinental, transgender, transformative, transgression, transitory, translucent, transparent, transaction, translation, transfusion, transmission, transmutation). By opening up feminisms to encompass innumerable \u2018trans\u2019 possibilities, we hope to demonstrate the irreducibility of feminism itself.\u201d<\/p>\n March 10 \u2014 London \u2014 more info<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Muslim and Jewish women activists from the West Bank, Israel and the UK come together to explore avenues of hope amidst the challenges faced in the Middle East \u2014 not least the tragic loss of so many innocent lives. Some of the questions they will discuss are: what credible diplomatic horizon offers a path to peace? How do Palestinian and Israeli peace activists face combat prevailing feelings of hopelessness among the two sides when confronting a horrific war, the continuing barriers of occupation and international interventions. And critically, can women \u2014 often the chief victims of war and terror \u2014 emerge as the positive force that is so badly needed? Could they succeed where male politicians and armed groups have faced \u2014 and invariably failed \u2014 so many tests?<\/p>\n On the panel are Ahlam Akram, chair and founder of <\/span>Basira Arab Women\u2019s Rights Group<\/span><\/a>; Laura Marks, co-founder of the Muslim-Jewish network <\/span>Nisa-Nashim<\/span><\/a>; Peta Jones Pellach from the 45,000 strong <\/span>Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel <\/span>Women Wage Peace<\/span><\/a> organization; and Layla Alshekh, a bereaved mother and activist from Bethlehem\u2019s Israeli-Palestinian <\/span>Parents Circle\/ Bereaved Families Forum<\/span><\/a>. Alona Ferber, senior editor, at the <\/span>New Statesman<\/span><\/a>, is the moderator, with participants in person and on Zoom. <\/span>Bridging Hope: Women Uniting in the Middle East and Britain<\/span><\/a>, organized by <\/span>Meretz UK<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Insaan Culture Club<\/span><\/a>, will take place on Sunday, March 10, from 14:00-17:00, at the Highgate Society, 10A South Grove, London N6 6BS. Ticketed event. To be followed by live music and refreshments. Ticketed event.<\/span><\/p>\n Mar 12 \u2014 Mar 14, at Olympia London\u2014 more info<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The London Book Fair<\/span><\/a> is an annual three-day event and the most important activity that takes place is the selling of books\u2019 foreign language rights to publishers around the world. According to literary journalist <\/span>Olivia Snaije<\/span><\/a>, \u201cThere isn\u2019t enough Arabic literature being translated into European languages, if you compare it with literature in other languages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She says she tries to put herself, for example, in the shoes of a German publisher. \u201cOnce I\u2019ve found an interesting book how do I go about getting the rights for it. I can\u2019t read the book, can\u2019t read the publisher\u2019s website because they\u2019re in Arabic. It\u2019s all very opaque. As many Arab publishers have told me, it\u2019s opaque for them as well.\u201d Issues of privacy, poor distribution and censorship, not to mention huge translating costs, bedevil the region\u2019s book scene.<\/span><\/p>\n The publishing initiative <\/span>LEILA<\/span><\/a> is about to change this, and the seminar on this pioneering website at the London Book Fair, supported by Words without Borders, has become a hot-ticket item for publishers, translators, authors and rights managers interested in the Arab world. <\/span>Layla<\/span><\/i>, which means night in Arabic, has a long tradition in Middle Eastern literature, because of <\/span>Alf layla wa-layla<\/span><\/i> (Thousand and One Nights) and the totemic crazy love story, <\/span>Majn\u00fbn Layla<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n This modern-day inception of LEILA stands for the reverse acronym of \u201cArabic Literature in European Languages.\u201d The website promotes and enables<\/span> the translation and circulation of new Arabic-language literature. More importantly it provides a host of resources online: application grants to apply for, literature festivals, even translated excerpts of Middle Eastern writers in different European languages and research studies, which shows how much Arabic literature is being.<\/span><\/p>\n Snaije joins Arabic literary translator <\/span>Sawad Hussain<\/span><\/a>; <\/span>Abdel-Wahab Khalifa<\/span><\/a>, senior lecturer in Translation and Interpreting at Queen\u2019s University Belfast, and LEILA project coordinator Anne Millet in a roundtable discussion on Arabic literature in translation and its availability on Wednesday, March 13, from 3:25 to 4:10 p.m. for <\/span>LEILA at the Literary Translation Centre<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n A long-standing tradition at the LBF is the <\/span>English Pen Salon<\/span><\/a>. The 2024 program includes conversations on freedom of expression and literature in the UK and beyond. One of their themes this year is: Israel, Palestine and freedom of expression in the UK, among other topics.<\/span><\/p>\n On Tuesday, March 12 at <\/span>3\u20134 p.m.\u00a0Palestine, Israel, and Free Expression in the UK\u00a0<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Neve Gordon<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Yasmin El-Rifae<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Avi Shlaim<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Selma Dabbagh\u00a0<\/span><\/a>will unpick the impact of the Israeli-occupation of Palestine \u2014 and especially the most violent aspects of both opposition to it and its enforcement in Britain. PEN International has issued a <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a> on attacks on journalists and media infrastructures and the <\/span>call for a ceasefire<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n On Wednesday 13 March at<\/span> 3\u20134 p.m.\u00a0Activism in Iran\u00a0<\/span><\/a>with the translator <\/span>Poupeh Missaghi<\/span><\/a>, The Markaz Review\u2019s <\/span>Malu Halasa<\/span><\/a>, The Times\u2019 foreign correspondent <\/span>Christina Lamb\u00a0<\/span><\/a>will discuss recent trends in Iran in regards to the Woman Life Freedom movement. From <\/span>In the Streets of Tehran<\/span><\/i>, an anonymous woman describes her daily activism as part of a long and powerful tradition of female resistance. In the anthology <\/span>Woman Life Freedom<\/span><\/i>, Malu Halasa explores the rise of creative resistance that followed Jina Mahsa Amini\u2019s death at the hands of Iran\u2019s Morality Police. They will also consider the lack freedom of expression in Iran and how this shapes the form of protest, the importance of documenting every day activism, and the great risks of doing so.<\/span><\/p>\n On Thursday, 14 March <\/span>11.15 a.m.\u201312.15 p.m. Writing against Violence: Palestinian Literary Voices,\u00a0<\/span><\/a> Saqi Books<\/span><\/a>\u2019 publisher Elizabeth Briggs and Palestinian novelist <\/span>Isabella Hammad<\/span><\/a>, playwright <\/span>Hannah Khalil<\/span><\/a>, and poet <\/span>Rafeef Ziadah\u00a0<\/span><\/a>will discuss the value of producing, sharing and championing Palestinian culture and literature in the face of military bombardment, and what should be the role literature during war and occupation. This event is in partnership with PEN International.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For those attending the London Book Fair, add these events about publishing in the Middle East and the hard ideas shaping the region to your calendar.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"an](\"https:\/\/themarkaz.org\/oldsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/an-outtake-from-22Dirty-Difficult-Dangerous22-directed-by-Wissam-Charaf-.jpg\")
\nRachid Kora\u00efchi: Celestial Blue<\/h4>\n
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Transfeminisms Chapter I: Activism and Resistance<\/h4>\n
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<\/a>Bridging Hope: Women Uniting in the Middle East and Britain<\/h4>\n
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<\/a><\/h4>\nMeet the Middle East in the Translation Roundtables and Political Panels at the London Book Fair<\/span><\/h4>\n
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