Writers from the Arab World will be prominently featured at the London Book Fair, which is being held from April 14-16. As part of the event, the British Council and the London Book Fair have scheduled an Arab World Market Focus Program, which will be a three-day cultural exchange celebrating the strength and diversity of Arabic literature.
Leading writers including Bahaa Taher, Alaa Al-Aswany, Faisal Darraj, Hisham Matar, Raja Alsanea, Jean Makdisi and Amjad Nasser will take part in a series of talks, discussions and debates aimed at strengthening cultural relations with the Arab World through the development of meaningful dialog between writers, publishers, translators and readers. The seminars will also provide a platform for new voices from the Arab World to promote their books to a global publishing audience. Efforts will also be made to highlight current trends in contemporary Arabic literature, with a view to increasing the quantity and quality of literary work translated between Arabic and English.
“When the British Council launched its Literature/New Writing program in the Arab world three years ago, very few writers and publishers from the UK and the region had any access to each other. The standard notion on the Arab side was: ‘The West is not interested in our writing.’ On the UK side: ‘We may be interested, but the Arab world is too complicated and inaccessible,’” said British Council Regional Manager, Creativity, Laila Hourani. “Over 40 Arab writers and tens of publishers will participate in the London Book Fair Arab Market Focus and Cultural Program. They will make firsthand business and creative exchanges with their UK and international counterparts — a truly unique opportunity for the publishing and literary scenes on both sides to bridge the artificial gap that has kept them apart for too many years; and have an opportunity to hear the creative voice of the Arab world.”
The British Council has created a website, www.britishcouncil.org/newarabicbooks, which features new Arabic literature. The website will include cover images, short descriptions and contact details for the rights holders for each literary work, with the goal that they would be translated and eventually published in the UK. On the website there are also exclusive interviews with, and features on, the key people in the Arab World’s literary and publishing scenes, and a section to assist publishers in working with the Arab World. Although the website has been launched in time for the London Book Fair, it is intended to become a long-term resource and will be updated regularly.