"I thought these are crazy days. I have been in prison for a long time, and I have no idea what’s going on. Maybe they’re fabricating a case against Nagib Mahfouz or his ghost."
‘Words for the Silenced’: Coming to London
The event, which starts at 7 p.m., will include readings, video, music, and a live performance of new work by Amir Darwish.
Dareen Tatour Sentenced to 5 Months; Create Art To Help Fight Her Conviction
"With your agreement we intend to curate a digital-only album of submissions, to be made available for sale on several platforms."
Poet Galal El-Behairy’s ‘Letter from Tora Prison’
They want to hide the past
behind locks and bolts,
preventing him from whispering
about how things once were.
Palestinian Dareen Tatour Convicted for Poem, Facebook Posts
Palestinian poet and Dareen Tatour was surrounded by supporters on Thursday, May 3 as the Nazareth Magistrate's Court found her guilty of incitement to violence and supporting a terror organization.
Women’s Nonfiction on Political Detention: From Iraq to Palestine
"Absent, however, were the stories and experiences of women prisoners of conscience."
Ahmed Naji: ‘I Wanted to Write Something More Fantastical’
"Currently I’m trying to finish a nonfiction book on my trial and time in prison. Starting with my own experience, it looks at the broader issue of literary language vs. the language of the law, and asks why literature goes to the courtroom."
‘A Poet’s Hallucinations,’ by Dareen Tatour
Desire builds a nest
Between the branches of my love.
It sings like a bulbul, night and day
And sweeps through me like fire through straw.
A New Translation of Palestinian Poet Dareen Tatour’s ‘I… Who Am I?’
I am Me…
A storm of angry waves at sunset,
Its breathing strangled in the grip of the winds.
But as I draw near the question pulls away,
And I keep on asking: “Who am I?”
With English PEN and ‘The Enemies Project,’ Works in Solidarity with At-risk Writers
The afternoon and evening readings, a joint venture of English PEN and the Enemies Project, begin at 2 p.m. and run through 9:30 that night.
‘Talking Forever’: A Poem for Dareen Tatour by Naomi Shihab Nye
"Dareen, trapped in her house for using the word “Resist” – she was there
and we were everywhere else. "
For July 28: Not Forgetting Ashraf Fayadh
“I’m afraid I’ll be forgotten.”