The ‘Rise of Arabic Literature in English’

Today in London, starting at 11 a.m., a group of us will be talking about “The Rise of Arabic Literature in English”:

If you’re free, please join us at the British Library. From the festival website:

There has been a significant growth in the availability of works by Arab authors in the English language in recent years, as well as a rise in the number of Arab authors winning mainstream literary prizes. But what impact has this surge of interest in Arabic literature had on the writers, translators and readers of these works?

British Syrian writer Robin Yassin-Kassab chairs a discussion of this phenomenon with award-winning Iraqi poet, novelist and translator Sinan Antoon, acclaimed British Palestinian novelist and playwright Selma Dabbagh, Marcia Lynx Qualey, founder of the Arabic Literature in English website, and author, scholar and translator Professor Daniel Newman.

If you’re free, please find us in the The British Library Conference Centre, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. You can also see it on a map.

This will be followed by a discussion of “Science Fiction in the Arab World,” “Writing Change,” “Hot off the Press” (with Atef Abu Saif and Samar Yazbek), and “The Astonishing Form” (with Mourid Barghouti and other astonishing poets).

I look forward to seeing you all there.