PalFest 2012: Gaza, Ramallah, Cairo

We are now just days away from launching our new, bi-lingual website. But we also know that you are all dying to know what's being planned for this year's festival. 

So here's a brief outline of our programme of free public events. As usual, PalFest will also be working with schools, universities and cultural centres in camps - but the below events are free and open for absolutely anyone to attend. 

In a few days we will announce the 21 authors who will be travelling to Gaza for the main body of this year's festival....

GAZA

May 6th: Opening Night

4pm, Golden Media Centre (opposite al Azhar University)

[Full line up to be announced]

May 7th: Concert

5pm, Rashad al Shawa Centre

Concert by Jafra, Eskenderella and more. 

May 9th: Closing Night

5pm, Dar al Basha (opposite Qasr al Basha)

[Full line up to be announced]

RAMALLAH

May 5th, 7.30pm

Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre

Public reading with Maya Abu Hayat, Rachel Holmes, Bee Rowlatt, Abd Al-Rahim Al-Shaikh. 

With a musical performance by Imad Sayrafi. 

CAIRO                          

May 11th, 8pm

Rawabet Theatre, Downtown

The PalFest group report back to Cairo, tell the audience about their experiences and discuss ways we can all work together in the future. 

The Makana Mysteries

One of PalFest's first participants has taken on a pen-name for the new series of Cairo-set detective novels, the Makana Mysteries. Read the overwhelmingly positive user reviews - then buy a copy - on Amazon here. 

2011 Report Now Online

Our report on all our activities for 2011. It's been beautifully laid out by Muiz, so take a look and download it here.

New Najwan Darwish translation online

This translation of Najwan Darwish's poem 'Like These Trees' has just been published by the Free Word Centre

PalFest 2011: The Film

Kol HaMusica by Najwan Darwish [English translation]

Kol HaMusica

1

Our enemies call the piano ‘psanter’ …

How long have these psanters been striking 

in the wake of the sleeping dead?

How long have they continued their transmission from

the station ‘Kol HaMusica’

while their planes shell the Southern Suburb  of Beirut 

and bomb a three-room home in Jabalia Camp?

The psanters

that never ceased to hunt him down 

to the darkness of the other bank.

The psanters

that now strike with an  icy drone. 

The psanters

The psanters

He will carry on calling  them in the enemy’s language 

until the musical instrument  desists from partaking  in the crime.

2

‘The piano is the grandchild of the Qanun.’

This is a historical fact,

it has nothing to do with these psanters 

that now slash my face with razor blades.

The occupiers do not care for stories of blood or dynasties,

to them the piano is but a foundling they call the ‘psanter’.

3

Sometimes I think that soldiers killed the pianists,

and generals are now playing inside the records.

Translated by Lubna Fahoum

Two PalFest Events in London this Month

March 14th

Get tickets here

March 15th