You’ve seen the VIDA count, which tracks how many books, of those reviewed in mainstream publications, were by women. Recently, over at The Nation, Roxanne Gay gave a shot at tracking how many nonwhite writers’ books were reviewed (including translations).
This Friday, September 13, NYC’s Alwan for the Arts will host a salon, led by Mohamed Alwan, on Abul ‘Ala Al-Ma’ari. There will also be music by the Alwan Ensemble in celebration of the classical poetry of Al-Ma’ari, Al-Hallaj, Abu Nawas and the Maqam.
After I played telephone (or as the French apparently call it, téléphone arabe) with Richard Jacquemond’s “The Yacoubian Building and Its Sisters: Reflections on Readership and Written Culture in Modern Egypt,” Jacquemond kindly sent me a copy of his essay, so I wouldn’t comment on comments about comments about it. The essay was full of interesting observations about Egyptian best-sellerdom.
Emirati poet and filmmaker Nujoom al-Ghanem (@NujoomAlghanem) has published seven poetry collections and directed and produced four films. She has toured the UK with her poetry and has won several filmmaking awards.
“Middle East America: A National New Plays Initiative” is now accepting applications for its second $10,000 fellowship, which includes intensitve developmental support for an American playwright of Middle Eastern descent.
On Friday, Prince Claus Fund organizers announced the winners of the 2013 awards. The “Principal Prince Claus Award went to Egypt’s “poet of the people,” Ahmed Fouad Negm.
The play “48 Minutes for Palestine” — which is an entirely wordless two-actor piece — is showing this weekend at Rich Mix theatre.
September 30 is “International Translation Day,” with this year’s theme as Beyond Linguistic Barriers – A United World, proposed by the Congolese branch of the International Federation of Translators. For the fourth year, London will host an ITD symposium.
Do you know a talented young person in year 6 or 7, who lives in the greater London area and composes poetry in Arabic? Are you such a person? This contest is for you.
