This fifteen-author event is being organized by Menaal Munshey, who is gathering the donations to be flown to Beirut:
Featured authors are from around the globe, and include: Rabih Alameddine, Fatima Bhutto, Zeina Hashem Beck, Lina Mounzer, Anissa Helou, Elif Shafak, Alexander Chee, Saleem Haddad, Eileen Myles, Nitin Sawhney, Anna Phoebe, Bluey Robinson, Laith Nakli, Menaal Munshey, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Funds raised will be distributed to a variety of on-the-ground organizations, including: the Unite Lebanon Youth Project, Beit Aftal Assomoud, Food Blessed, Iftar in a Box, Sesobel, Rebuild Beirut, Wa Taawanoo, and Egna Legna.
As author and participant Lina Mounzer wrote on Twitter: “Want to help #Beirut? Want to make sure the money goes directly to the people & not the thieving #Lebanon gvt? On August 12 I’m doing a reading for this fundraiser alongside a lineup of these superstar writers. Money will then be brought in cash & in person.”
The event is set to be held August 12. It will be at noon in NYC, 5 p.m. in London, and 7 p.m. in Beirut.
Tickets are on a sliding scale from £15-25, although attendees can also donate more. Those interested in attending should email menaalsmunshey@gmail.com for donation details. Donations need to be made by Tuesday at noon UK time, and participants will be sent a Zoom link on Wednesday morning.
More information is available on Fatima Bhutto’s Twitter timeline.
Also: Mophradat is also raising funds. You can send via PayPal to office@mophradat clearly indicating BEIRUT ART FUND.
