Writers and Bloggers from ‘The New Libya’

On Monday, October 8, Banipal magazine is hosting an event at the Birmingham Book Festival: “The new Libya – its writers and bloggers”:

The writers — Ghazi Gheblawi, Mohamed Mesrati, Giuma Bukleb — were all featured in Banipal’s 40th issue, “Libyan Fiction.” And you can find selections from their work online:

Ghazi Gheblawi’s “A Rosy Dream,” trans. Ghenwa Hayek.

An excerpt from Mohamed Mesrati’s novel-in-progress, Mama Pizza, trans. Leri Price.

“Tarzan of Palmers Green” and “The Good Woman of Turnpike Lane,” by Giuma  Bukleb, trans. Sophia Vasalou.

Mesrati, who is only twenty-two-ish years old, writes about Libyans and other Arabs in the UK. (Interview here about his work with Susannah Tarbush.) Gheblawi is also a poet and a prominent blogger: He writes at www.imtidadblog.com. Also: Bukleb, who spent ten years of his life in a Ghaddafi prison, wrote the poem “Leave,” trans. Gheblawi.

Also new in Libyan fiction (in translation):

Susannah Tarbush, over at the Tanjara, announces that Ahmed Fagih’s Maps of the Soul will be out in translation next spring.

Also at the Book Festival:

In Ramallah, Running on October 11. My interview with the book’s author-editor, Guy Mannes-Abbott, here.

Coming up this fall in London:

“The Nour Festival,” with film, literature, music, visual arts, fashion, dance, cuisine from the region. October and November. For the whole program (as a PDF), click here. You can also follow @NourFestival on Twitter. Thanks to Rupert for sending this.