Internationally acclaimed authors Susan Abulhawa and Saleem Haddad will share their experiences in this programme. This year will also see the re-issue of Morning in Jenin, by Palestinian-American Susan Abulhawa, who lives in the United States after growing up all over the world. The epic family chronicle about four generations of Palestinians in search of a safe home was first published in 2006, and has since been translated into more than 30 languages. It is a heart-wrenching saga, in which love and friendship persevere among devastation and loss. After an interview with Abulhawa about her book, the other authors will join in a panel discussion about the question: how can you portray the Palestinian homeland and cultural identity if you live in exile? And to what extent may you ‘use’ your homeland as a literary canvas for your sorrows? How can you keep your memories intact, without letting them subdue you. Saleem Haddad will also join the panel (see the Afrofuturism programme for more information). He is the author of Song of the Birds, which was included in Palestine +100, a collection of political and speculative fiction by and about Palestinians. His story is a metaphorical high wire act revolving around the question: should you accept a new home in a strange land, or should you return and fight for your country of origin? Fatena Al-Ghorra is a Palestinian poet and journalist from Gaza, living in Belgium since 2016. Several of her poetry collections have already appeared in Dutch (translated by Nisrine Mbarki) and soon to be published is Exodus to Gaza, a co-production of EPO Publishers and Jurgen Maas Publishers.
Moderator is Aisja Hamed.
English spoken
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