Upcoming Events: Bilad al-Sham Libraries, Banipal Prize Celebration, ‘Archives of the Disappeared,’ More

We continue our series of events listings, which appear each Saturday as long as online, open-access events remain popular:

February 16

Libraries in Late Ottoman and Post-Ottoman Bilad al-Sham

This installment of the Readings in the Khalidiyya series — a series about The Khalidi Library’s manuscript collection — looks at accessibility through digitization and new scholarly inquiries. Its two speakers are Konrad Hirschler, billed as “a leading scholar on regional libraries such as the Khalidiyya will give his talk, who will be joined by Ahmed El Shamsy, author of Rediscovering the Islamic Classics: How Editors and Print Culture Transformed an Intellectual Tradition (Princeton, 2020), who will give commentary. “Libraries in late Ottoman and post-Ottoman Bilad al-Sham: The Jerusalem Khalidiyya Library in Context” is scheduled for 1pm NY/ 8pm Jerusalem. More at the Columbia University website.

February 17

Celebrating the winner of the 2020 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation 

This special online event will celebrate the winner of the 2020 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, Kay Heikkinen, for her translation of the novel Velvet by Huzama Habayeb (published by Hoopoe Fiction). According to organizers, the event “will feature translator and author in conversation, with readings in Arabic and English, Q&A, and a special musical interlude by acclaimed Iranian/American singer-songwriter Azam Ali. This is a free event but registration is required via Eventbrite in order to receive the streaming link.” Registration available here. The event will be held from 18:00-19:30 UK time.

February 18

How Do We Imagine the Future of Translator Collectives?

Part of a new monthly series of “knowledge-sharing open sessions for literary translators and appreciators of translated works from all backgrounds and experience levels,” in this talk Aaron Robertson and Sean Gasper Bye consider existing and potential models of literary translation collectives. 

According to organizers, “Clinics are held on the third Thursday of each month. Each one-hour clinic will feature a presentation or conversation followed by a Q&A. Topics will range from questions and theories of craft to submissions, contracts, and other practical concerns, always with an eye to literary translation as a profession. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions from their own practice.”

February 19

Literature as Archive II: Reading and Conversation with Elias Khoury and Susan Abulhawa

In this session, authors Elias Khoury and Susan Abulhawa join scholars Hana Morgenstern and Hilary Rantisi at 17:00 GMT for “Archives of the Disappeared.”

According to organizers, “Archives of the Disappeared is an interdisciplinary research initiative for the study and documentation of communities, social movements, spaces, lifeworlds, literatures and cultures that have been destroyed through acts of political repression and mass violence. Through a reading group, seminars and masterclasses, as well as lectures by scholars, artists, archivists, and community activists, the initiative will explore the question of ‘archive’ in the context of annihilation.”

The following week:

February 25, the launch of The Book of Ramallah

February 25, the launch of Kohl’s launch of issue 6.3 on Queer Feminisms, with Sara Ahmed as discussant.

February 25, an online reading/Q&A with Najwan Darwish, translator Kareem James Abu-Zeid, and Jeffrey Yang

If you’d like us to include your future event, please email to info@arablit.org.