This week, our editors report around the world on the widely varied achievements and explored potentialities of literature. From book fairs in the UAE to Filipino songs, from Bulgarian “Enlighteners” to Dublin’s Book Festival, read on to find out more!
Ibrahim Sayed Fawzy Elsayed, Editor-at-Large, reporting from Egypt
Amidst the chaos and confusion engulfing the world lately, it’s been hard to tear one’s eyes away from the news. We’re deeply saddened by the heartbreaking photos coming from Gaza, which remains under attack. One can only hope that the violence is ceased immediately and light and peace prevail soon. In this dispatch, I’ll share a glimmer of hope from across the Arab World.
Egyptian literature continues to shine both in the East and the West; Ashraf El-Ashmawi’s الجمعية السرية للمواطنين (The Secret Society of Citizens), published by Al-Dar Al-Masriah Al-Lubnaniah, and Rasha Adly’s أنت تشرق، أنت تضيء (You Shine, You Light Up), published by Dar El-Shorouk, have won the ninth edition of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novels.
Meanwhile, Rania Bedda’s حلق مريم (Maryam’s Earring), illustrated by Aya Khamis and published by Nahdet Misr Group, won the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature in the Young Adult category. The story takes readers on a transformative journey with Maryam as she seeks identity and purpose through the art of Nubian jewelry design. Also, sixteen titles from eleven languages have been longlisted for the prestigious Warwick Prize for Women in Translation; among them is author-translator Deena Mohamed’s debut graphic novel, Your Wish is My Command, published by Granta.
The stage was set ablaze at this year’s edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), as they crowned Libyan-born novelist Ibrahim Al-Koni as ‘The Cultural Character of the Year.” Al-Koni, born in the Tuareg Desert and molded by its mystique during childhood, had embarked on a journey to Europe while preserving the rich tapestry of customs and the unique essence of desert life. His works are infused with a blend of myth, magical realms, and a profound passion for the Tuareg way of life.
The ArabLit Story Prize has unveiled its shortlist, a treasure trove brimming with “myriad mythologies,” an unwavering will to survive, and voices that are edgy and unforgettable, notably hailing from regions outside the centers of Arabic literature. According to organizers, “The prize this year had fifty-six complete submissions from authors and translators all over the world,” resulting in three finalists: Ibrahim Al-Koni translated by Dima El-Mouallem, Rachida el-Charni translated by Anne Willborn, and Wajdi al-Ahdal translated by William Hutchins.
Mauritanian author Ahmed Isselmou’s البراني (The Outsider Mode), published by Beirut house Dar Al Adab, has won the 2023 Prix Chinguetti for Literature and Arts. Isselmou’s sci-fi novel blends Mauritanian traditional music, the minority dialect Hassaaniya Arabic, and AI. It deftly contrasts two worlds: one that is reliant on the internet and another that is oblivious to it. For a tantalizing glimpse into this literary gem, read an excerpt (in my translation) in the NCW 2023 Emerging Literary Translators Anthology, or watch a reading here.
Lastly, my translation of Kuwaiti writer Khalid Al-Nasrallah’s 2022 IPAF-shortlisted الخط الأبيض من الليل/The White Line of Night has been named a winner of the 2023 English PEN Presents. Al-Nasrallah’s dystopian novel is set in a nameless country, where the force of parliament carries out the censorship of published texts; a censoring body checks each and every book before allowing any to be published, and bans those deemed offensive. An enticing excerpt from this thought-provoking novel awaits your exploration on English PEN’s website.
Alton Melvar M Dapanas, Editor-at-Large, reporting from the Philippines
On November 5, in celebration of National Children’s Month, the Cultural Centre of the Philippines (CCP) launched a book of indigenous children’s lullabies, Himig Himbing: Mga Heleng Atin (A Collection of Cradle Songs from the Philippines), and a companion album at the Tanghalang Ignacio B Gimenez / CCP Blackbox Theatre in the nation’s capital region. Serving as a prelude to grander events on children’s literature and art come 2024, the lullabies are from different Philippine regions—based on the research by Sol Trinidad of the University of the Philippines – Centre for Ethnomusicology, and musical director Krina Cayabyab.
The text and album thus represent a wide diversity of musical traditions. Habi Collective Media’s Carla Ocampo has reconceptualised “Wiwayi,” the Kalinga lullaby crooned by Cordilleran fathers in the northern region, as documented on Dr Felicidad Prudente’s Antukin: Philippine Folk Songs and Lullabies (Tahanan Books, 1998). “Aba-aba” is sung in the south of the country—particularly by the Subanen people of northern and western Mindanao. From the Visayas, both “Tingkatulog” in the Boholano Binisaya and the Hiligaynon-language “Ili, Ili, Tulog Anay” (from Priscilla Magdamo’s Folk Songs: Songs of the Visayas, Silliman University Press, 1957) are melodies of promises made to a child by their caretaker, to ensure safe return of their mother. Readers and listeners can also enjoy award-winning director-screenwriter Jerrold Tarog‘s reimagining of the multilingual “Lubi Lubi,” which has verses in Tagalog, Waray, and Bicolano languages. Other berceuses which caught my attention were the Pangasinense “Ligliway Ateng” (from Mga Katutubong Awiting Pangasinan: Cancansion ng Pangasinan, Komisyong sa Wikang Filipino, 2003), and the Mansaka “Uyug-uyug,” a hymn sung from the perspective of an ill mother, reassuring her child that she will soon recover from illness. But the highlight for me was Vic Acedillo Jr’s cinematic rendition of “Tungas Kay Ta Sampaw,” in the Manobo Kinamigin language of the islandic Camiguin, a province in the region where I was born.
The book also features a foreword by, among others, National Artist for Music Ramon Santos. Talaandig leader and indigenous musician Datu Waway Saway also served a guest performer during the event. The album can be streamed on YouTube, Spotify, and other digital platforms.
Andriana Hamas, Editor-at-Large, Reporting from Bulgaria
November 1 is a special day for Bulgarians—a day in which the country celebrates its National Enlighteners, honoring the work of many educators, writers, and revolutionaries. Initially, these “Awakeners” were limited to the prominent figures of three eras: the Revival, the Liberation from Ottoman rule, and the first independent decades (i.e. approximately from the eighteenth century until the early twentieth century); later, however, the holiday’s reach was expanded to include other men and women of note, those deemed to have played a significant role in the general preservation of the Bulgarian people.
November 1 is also the day on which Kultura, a specialized online platform dedicated to culture and art, announces the winners of its Annual Awards for Literature and the Humanities. This year, Mihail Veshim was the winner in the Prose category for his autobiography Химия на шегата (Chemistry of The Joke, published by Ciela) and its “masterful depiction of the past through the jokes of each time period.” Meanwhile, the first prize in the Humanities category went to Antoaneta Doncheva for her insightful monograph Самюъл Бекет: сияйното отсъствие (Samuel Beckett: The Radiant Absence, published by Iztok-Zapad). Several special awards were given out as well, including to Georgi Mishev for his “migration cycle, which has become a staple of Bulgarian fiction and cinema practice,” and to Manol Peykov for his contributions to the local civil society by way of “his publishing activities, in addition to his exceptional personal example in the context of charitable work.”
One can only hope that by next November 1, readers around the globe will have access to translations of the abovementioned books! In the meantime, do check out Asymptote’s collection of Bulgarian writings here.
MARGENTO, Editor-at-Large, reporting from Ireland
The Irish literary scene is bursting with excitement and febrility as the Dublin Book Festival (Nov 8 to Nov 12) begins in full swing. The titles debuting during the festival range from fiction to children’s literature to poetry to art history, while the event roster reveals the incredibly diverse range of literature’s reach: readings, performances, interviews, roundtables, journal launches, celebrations of publishing houses, interdisciplinary events, international exchanges, and so on. During these four days, both established writers and younger voices are releasing books or giving public talks in scenic, legendary venues such as The Printworks (Dublin Castle), Gutter Bookshop, Chester Beatty, and the beautiful surrounds of 1WML.
Among the “writing greats” featured in the programme, Jack Harte and Evelyn Conlon are respectively launching a “philosophical and eccentric” novel and a memoir. Additionally, the organizers are partnering with the legendary literary journal, The Stinging Fly, to present a panel titled “This So-Called Writing Life,” featuring novelist and commissioning editor Olivia Fitzsimons in conversation with authors Sheila Armstrong, Jan Carson, and Sheena Patel about the highs and lows of writing life and the creative process.
For poetry lovers, award-winning Majella Kelly will be appearing alongside poets Mark Ward and Dani Gill for “New Voices” (a preview featuring Keely reading a recent poem can be seen here). Later tonight, a timely event titled “The Light of Home: Ukraine and Ireland” will be celebrating Irish and Ukrainian culture and literature with music, readings, and discussions. Another exciting event to come is the booked out Dub-Lines, presented by Poetry Ireland and UNESCO Dublin City Of Literature, and celebrating the work and life of late and much-loved poet Brendan Kennelly.
Those who are not in Dublin these days, but who have a love of Irish literature, can take part in a series of online events by The National Library of Ireland, held to celebrate the centenary of W.B. Yeats’ Nobel Prize win. The talks will highlight both the poet’s national and universal legacy, as well as lesser known aspects of his life or work—such as his special connections to India or his interest in yoga.
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