Embrace on the Brooklyn Bridge

On Wednesday night, I saw an interesting event as part of the International Literature Festival of Berlin, on stage discussion between Egyptian writer, Ezzedine Choukri Fishere, author of the (as far as I can make out) yet to be translated into English novel, "Embrace on the Brooklyn Bridge."

Egyptian writer Ezzedine Choukri Fishere

The event was in Arabic and German, so I missed bits here and there, though I am surprised at how much I did manage to get (I studied German as an undergraduate and still retain a reading knowledge). The discussion referenced two other well-known Arab writers (and also Egyptians), Alaa al Aswany and Ahdaf Soueif, and the moderator, Stefan Weidner, clearly has a background in the culture and languages of the Middle East. The discussion touched on Choukri-Fishere's writing, his novel (which was short-listed for the most recent Arab Booker Prize), his career and his life in Egypt, France and Canada.

Choukri-Fishere's book sounds fascinating: it has eight protagonists, all Arab-Americans representing different backgrounds and classes, on their way to attend a party in New York City, this allowing the writer to explore the relations between "integrated" Arabs into Western society.

One thing Berlin tends to do which is different to our Festival is that they hire actors to do the readings. I like this idea for many reasons though the limitation here is often that writers on their international list can't read German (so no one would want to hear them read in that language anyway!). The translating back and forth slows down the discussion and limits the spontaneity of it to some extent, though the audience was engaged and the discussion was lively.

On the whole, it was an event I enjoyed and I hope someone will take on translating Choukri-Fishere's book into English.

Eleanor Wachtel interviews Egyptian writer, Alaa al Aswany

On stage at the 2011 Blue Met. Al Aswany was awarded the 2011 Blue Metropolis Arab Literary Prize.

Find the two part interview here.

Poetry Events at Blue Met

We have several poetry events at this year`s Festival and we love nothing more than to pack them with both poetry connoisseurs and those who perhaps who are just curious to see what local poets are doing...

I posted about it before, but Poets at Night happens on Friday, April 29th night at 6pm. Anyone who was at Poetry Pandemonium last night at Sparrow (packed house, impressive!) will be happy to hear that Gabe Foreman is reading again at our Blue Met event. In addition, we have Quebec poet Aurian Haller, Swiss/Italian poet Oliver Scharpf, Latvian Edvins Raups, and American Andrea Moore. Tickets still available for this one. Get them here.

On Wednesday evening, we have an interesting line up of two Arab-Canadian poets, John Asfour and Ehab Lotayef. Asfour, originally from Lebanon, writes charming little gems that challenge all our assumptions about how we experience (and how we should experience) poetry. Blinded as a youth by a stray missile in his native Lebanon, Asfour explores senses in his new work, Blindfold, and gets at the very heart of what it means to write and read poetry.


Silver Threads

He recalls
the absence of sound, the impossible silence
the disappearance of light.

He is only aware of
the movement of his
mother's hand inside
her purse, looking

for her handkerchief.
He recalls her
warning not to play
with unknown objects
the type that explode on impact. Later,

he lies in the dark remembering
how she pointed out
the silver threads of morning light
just the day before
and he sparkles
with guilt.

Ehab Lotayef

Lotayef's most recent work To Love a Palestinian Woman explores the delicate humanity that makes up our individual experience: that of a migrant, that of a poet, that of a traveler or activist. With echoes of Neruda, Aldous Huxley and Ginsberg, this collection shows a breadth of intellectual curiosity moderated by a deep emotional longing for justice.

Today I shall write the happiest lines:
the sun is up early, calling me
birds sing on every tree
imprisoned in your love
I'm free.

...

Today I shall write the wisest lines:
I'll explain why there is injustice on earth
why there is disease
why some are poor while others have too much
why I am in love with you.

Moderated by UQAM's Rachad Antonius, this event on Wednesday, April 27th at 5pm will present some accessible and lovely work by two important Canadian poets. Get tickets here.