Young Arab Writers' UK Tour August 2006

Banipal Live 2006 is a partnership of Banipal Magazine with the British Council and The Reading Agency and includes a pioneering project with selected libraries along the tour route. A prepared list of titles by contemporary Arab authors – including best-selling reads, classics, poetry and books by women – form the basis for book loans, themed events and reading groups. This will enable readers in the UK to discover for themselves the wealth and diversity of contemporary Arab literature.

Through performance-readings and live discussions, poets Joumana Haddad from Lebanon and Abed Ismael from Syria together with fiction writers Ala Hlehel from Palestine and Mansoura Ez-Eldin from Egypt, will be offering an entirely fresh perspective on daily life in the Arab world on the Banipal Live August tour through the UK. Iraqi author and Banipal Assistant Editor Samuel Shimon will be hosting the readings. 

Before, during and after the tour the writers will be sharing their thoughts and experiences with you through our new weblog which is now live. Please click here: Banipal Weblog 

Click here for further information about the contributors to the tour Banipal Live-Young Arab Writers' Tour Notes

The tour schedule is:

15 August reading at London Review Bookshop, London-All four writers   

16 August Derby Central Library, Derby-Ala Hlehel & Abed Ismael

16 August Chesterfield Library, Chesterfield - Mansoura Ez-Eldin & Joumana Haddad

17 August Manchester Central Library, Manchester-All four writers
18 August Customs House, Mill Dam, South Shields-All four writers
20 August Edinburgh International Book Festival Bookcase, Edinburgh-All four writers   

Click here for further information about the tour and how to buy tickets

The paperback volume, Unbuttoning the Violin, featuring selected works by the four writers, celebrates their tour of the UK, and is available at all readings and from Banipal Books

 In advance of the tour, we are running a nationwide roll out of a targeted promotion of Arabic titles translated into English in selected libraries. This will be a list of 140 titles by 70 authors, pulled together in partnership with The Reading Agency, along with advice for librarians on how to promote the books. We will test out and evaluate whether we manage to attract new readers and audiences to the Arabic titles.

Published: 15/06/2006

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