Hay Festival Beirut 2012

Program day 1

[1] 18:00 – 19:00 Beirut art center
Mathias Enard and Hyam Yared in conversation with Nayla Tamraz  
French writer Mathias Enard is one of the most celebrated contemporary European novelists. He won the prix des cinq continents de la francophonie and the prix edmée de la rochefoucauld for his first novel, la perfection du tir. His book zone has won several prizes including the prix du livre inter and the prix décembre, and his book parle-leur de batailles, de rois et d’éléphantswon the 2010 prix goncourt des lycéens.  His latest book is l’alcool et la nostalgie. Hyam Yared is a poet and novelist from Beirut. She has published two books of poetry with dar an-nahar, and two novels, l’armoire des ombres, and sous la tonnelle. Her books have received several awards, such as the prix france-liban, and she was selected as one of the best young Arab writers under forty by beirut39. Chaired by Nayla Tamraz, head of French literature at Saint Joseph University.
Event in French.
With the support of literature across frontiers

[2] 19:15 – 20:15 Beirut art center
the checkpoints of memory in a post-war city. 
Monika Bergmann, Abir Saksouk-Sasso and Walid Sadek with Fadi Shayya
The panel investigates the possibility of critical and discursive notions of spatial production in post-war Beirut against the city’s disrupted collective memory. It discusses why and how the reproduction of urban design and architecture conforms to dominant socio-political dogmas of division, whilst art searches (and sometimes finds) freedom in expressing critical stances for and about memory, using different media. With Monika Bergmann, filmmaker and co-director of umam, Abir Saksouk-Sasso, architect and activist, and Walid Sadek, artist and assistant professor at AUB chaired by Fadi Shayya, urban designer and architect.
Event in English

[3] 20:30 – 21:30 Beirut art center
graphic stories. 
Zeina Abirached, Judith Vanistendael, and Mazen Kerbaj in conversation with Nadine Touma. Three accomplished artists discuss graphic storytelling and the relationship between words, images, and autobiographical content. Zeina Abirached is an illustrator, graphic novelist, and filmmaker from Beirut. Her titles include beyrouth-catharsis; 38 rue Youssef semaani andmourir, partir, revenir – le jeu des hirondelles. Judith Vanistendael (Belgium) creates comics that depict daily life in a realistic way. Author of the semi-autobiographical dance by the light of the moon, her latest graphic novel is when David lost his voice, a moving story about cancer and its effect on one ordinary family. Mazen Kerbaj is a Lebanese artist, musician, and comic cartoonist. His comic strip diary journal 1999 was published in 2000 and he has published eleven books and several short stories since then. Chaired by the artist and writer Nadine Touma, founder of the dar onboz publishing house. Event in French.
With the support of passa porta and the Flemish literary fund

[4] 20:30 – 21:30 Zico house
the revolution will be streamed. 
Amr Ezzat and Nasri Atallah in conversation with Samir Elbahaie
Internet-based communications are now a crucial source of information for citizens living in countries where press is censored and conflict is rife. News agencies across the globe, the new york times, le monde, and Al-Jazeera all rely on blog updates and Twitter feeds to stay up to date in places where official information is controlled. The social media phenomenon is particularly relevant in the Middle East at the moment; Amr Ezzat, a blogger from Egypt, and Nasri Atallah, a blogger from Beirut, tell us about the importance of new media in communications. Chaired by Samir Elbahaie, regional policy & foreign affairs manager for Google.
Event in Arabic.
With the support of Google

Program day 2

[5] 18:00 – 19:00 Beirut art center
from war to words. 
Jon lee Anderson, Robin Yassin-Kassab and Åsne Seierstad in conversation with Benedict Brogan
Journalists face the challenge of witnessing conflict and violence and having to transform often harrowing first-hand experience into suitable journalism. How do you put war into words? Jon Lee Anderson is a writer for the New Yorker who has worked extensively in conflict zones across the world. He is also the author of Che, a revolutionary life, a biography of Che Guevara, and the fall of Baghdad. Robin Yassin-Kassab is co-editor of and a regular contributor to pulse media, recently listed by le monde diplomatique as one of its top five websites, and the author of the road from Damascus. Åsne Seierstad is a Norwegian freelance journalist and writer, best known for her accounts of everyday life in war zones: Kabul after 2001, Baghdad in 2003, and the ruined Grozny in 2007. She is the author of the international bestseller the bookseller of Kabul. Chaired by benedict brogan, deputy editor of the daily telegraph.
Event in English.
With the support of the British council and norla

[6] 19:15 – 20:15 Beirut art center
let’s talk about human rights. 
Chetan Bhatt, óscar Guardiola-Rivera, and Nizar Saghieh in conversation with John Kampfner Three experts from different corners of the world discuss a universal issue: how to ensure that human rights are respected and protected. Professor Chetan Bhatt is director of the centre for the study of human rights at the London School of economics. Óscar Guardiola-Rivera teaches international law and international affairs at Birkbeck College, University of London; he also served as an aid to the Colombian congress and as a consultant for a United Nations unit in the region. Nizar Saghieh is a leading lawyer, legal researcher, and human rights activist. He is currently a legal consultant for the international labour organization and one of the founders of the legal agenda. John Kampfner is an adviser to Google on freedom of expression and culture. He is an author, broadcaster, and commentator specializing in UK politics, international affairs, media, and human rights issues.
Event in English. With the support of Google, the embassy of Colombia in the republic of Lebanon, and the London school of economics

[7] 20:30 – 21:30  Beirut art center
Janne Teller and Kamila Shamsie in conversation with John Kampfner
Two acclaimed international writers discuss their recent works with John Kampfner. Janne Teller (Denmark) is an author who has worked in conflict resolution for many years. Her much-lauded, multi-award-winning children’s novel nothing tackles the meaning of life and the limits of tolerance and has provoked vigorous debate in Europe since its publication in 2000. Teller will also discuss if Scandinavia were at war a thrilling, chilling depiction of life as a refugee. Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan) is the author of five novels, including burnt shadows, which was shortlisted for the orange prize and translated into more than 20 languages. She has also written a book of non-fiction, offence: the Muslim case.  She is a trustee of the English pen, and writes for the international herald tribune and the guardian.
Event in English
With the support of the Danish arts council and the British council

[8] 20:00-21:00 Zico house
visual stories. 
Karrie Fransman, Zeina Bassil and Joumana Medlej in conversation with Lana Asfour
Karrie Fransman (UK) came into the public eye with her autobiographical comic strips my peculiar life, published in the guardian, and the night I lost my love, printed in the times, and who is author of the highly acclaimed graphic novel the house that groaned. Zeina Bassil (Lebanon) is a freelance illustrator, editor of la furie des glandeurs, an illustration and comic fanzine that tackles social-related issues in Lebanon; she also has a column in the monthly French literary supplement l’orient littéraire. Joumana Medlej (Lebanon) is a designer, calligrapher, and illustrator that has created and published her own graphic novels, works with calligraphy, and designs desktop icons and computer games. The three participants will discuss the wonders of comic writing, picture making, and storytelling with the journalist Lana Asfour.
Event in English
With the support of the British council

[9] 21:30 – 22:30 Zico house
Storytelling slam
A night of fiction and live readings. Join us for drinks and refreshments while festival authors regale us with readings from their work. with Roman Simic (Croatia), Dalia taha (Palestine), Najwan Darwish  (Palestine), Samira Negrouche (Algeria), Miguel Syjuco (Canada/Philippines), Akram Musallam (Palestine), Paolo Giordano (Italy), and Joumana Haddad (Lebanon). Chaired by Jon Gower, writer, and journalist.
Several languages
with the support of literature across frontiers, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec, Danish arts council and a.m qattan foundation

program day 3

[10] 18:00 – 19:00 Beirut art center
writers and witnesses.
Mansoura Ez Eldin, Habib Selmi and Khaled khalifa in conversation with Fadi Tofeili
These three finalists of the international prize for Arabic fiction are living through remarkable changes in their own countries. They join us to share thoughts about literature, social change, and the role of writers, and to tell us about their recent work. Mansoura Ez Eldin (Egypt) was shortlisted for the 2010 Arabic booker prize for her acclaimed second novel beyond paradise. she also runs the book review section of the distinguished Egyptian literary magazine Akhbar al-adab. Habib Selmi (Tunisia) has published eight novels, four of which have been translated into French with actes sud, and two into German. His novel the scents of Marie-Claire was shortlisted for the 2009 ipaf, with an English translation published by Arabia Books in 2010; his book the women of al-basateen was also shortlisted for the ipaf in 2012. Khaled Khalifa (Syria) attracted worldwide media attention with his 2006 novel in praise of hatred (madih al-karahiya) which was shortlisted for the international prize for Arabic fiction. Chaired by Fadi Tofeili, editor of portal 9.
Event in Arabic

[11] 19:15 – 20:15 Beirut art center
Books and other stories 
Miguel Syjuco and Paolo Giordano in conversation with Joumana Haddad
Journalists face the challenge of witnessing conflict and violence good fiction writing could be defined by its universal appeal and its capacity to engage readers from all over the world. two successful young authors tell us the secrets of their writing. Miguel Syjuco (Canada/Philippines) is the author of ilustrado, his debut novel which won the 2008 man Asian literary prize as well as the Palanca award, the philippines’ highest literary honour. Miguel’s writing pushes the boundaries of narrative fiction and explores the hopeful progress of a decaying third-world society. Young novelist Paolo Giordano (Italy) has impressed critics and readers alike with the solitude of prime numbers, 2008 Premio Strega. He will talk about his novel, his journalistic work, and upcoming projects. chaired by Lebanese author and poet Joumana Haddad.
Event in Arabic
With the support of ipaf

[12] 20:30-21:30 Beirut art center
The role of writers in a sectarian society.  
Abbas Beydoun, Abdo Wazen, and Najwa Barakat in conversation with Hala Kawatharani.
The acclaimed Lebanese writers Abbas Beydoun, Abdo Wazen and Najwa Barakat, discuss with Hala Kawatharani the challenges writers face in a deeply divided society.
Event in Arabic

[13] 20:30 – 21:30  Zico house
Questions from Hay 25  
The hay festival is 25 this year, and as part of the celebrations, we have put 25 questions to everyone taking part in all our 15 festivals around the world. Please join the panel to discuss three of the questions: which freedoms are you prepared to trade for greater security? are religion and democracy incompatible? teach us something important that you know. With Dalia Taha (Palestine), óscar Guardiola-Rivera (Colombia), åsne Seierstad (Norway), Chetan Bhatt (UK), and Najwan Darwish (Palestine). Chaired by Peter Florence, the hay festival director.
Event in English

[14] 22:00 – 23:00 Zico house
Xanadu*. 
The poeticians collective
The poeticians have been sharing their work with intimate audiences in Beirut, Amman, and Dubai since 2007. An international collective of writers and word warriors, they read in English, Arabic, and French. forsaking formal structure, they favour a no-rules approach to membership and to poetry. Freedom of expression and the celebration of creativity are at the heart of everything this vibrant and exciting collective stands for. As a special addition to the hay festival Beirut, Xanadu* will be launching the first volume of poetry collected from the past five years of the poeticians’ readings and performances…all rants, rambles, musings, and lyrical histories collected into a community book that encompasses diverse kinds of poetic writing. Readings by Mazen Zahreddine (English), Saseen Kawzally (Arabic), Zena El Khalil (English), Tina Fish (English), Susan Talhouk (Arabic), and surprise guests. Chaired by Hind Shoufani, founder, curator, and mc of the poeticians collective.
Readings in English, Arabic, and French