On Episode 37, Ursula Lindsey & M Lynx Qualey talked about two festivals (one long-established, one brand new) that celebrate Palestinian literature; an author who was penalized for supporting BDS; and a book that asks the question: What would happen if Palestinians simply disappeared?
Although we will be transferring to the Sowt platform, you can still listen to Episode 37 at the Arabist, as well as Apple, Overcast, and wherever else you like your podcasts.
From our notes:
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Jayne Cortez’s poem “There It Is” was performed by Sapphire at Palfest 2014.
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Palfest was re-launched this year with a focus on knowledge production and an emphasis on how Palestine fits within larger struggles against imperialism, racism and economic exploitation.
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The first-of-its kind literary festival Palestine Writes will be held in New York in March 2020.
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Kamila Shamsie was de-awarded the Nellie Sachs literary prize over her support of the Palestinian BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) movement. Hundreds of writers signed a statement of solidarity with her.
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Benjamin Netanyahu promised further annexations in the West Bank during his last electoral campaign. The details of the Trump administration’s “deal of the century” have yet to emerge.
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As the New York Times reported recently, Israel bans Arabic-language books from entering the country.
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Ibtisem Azem’s The Book of Disappearance was translated from the Arabic by Sinan Antoon.
Coming on Episode 38:
A discussion of (and reading from) Ismail Fahd Ismail’s al-Sabiliyat, which became The Old Woman and the River in Sophia Vasalou’s translation, which depicts the start of the Iran-Iraq War; the Channel 4 adaptation of Elliott Colla’s novel Baghdad Central, which takes us back to the start of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq; and Updike v. Munif, in the context of Patricia Lockwood’s new takedown and the (rather short) history of US reviews of Arabic novels in translation.
Episode 38 will be our first remote episode, recorded between Rabat and the Sowt studios in Amman, Jordan.
