Posts filed under 'FILNYC'

Weekly Dispatches From the Frontlines of World Literature

October 13, 2023  |  in Dispatches, Weekly Roundup  |  by Alan Mendoza Sosa, Alton Melvar M Dapanas, and Carol Khoury

The latest literary news from Palestine, the United States, and the Philippines

This week, one of our editors-at-large reports from Palestine, amidst the outbreak of war. Our editors also report on new publications from the Philippines and literary festivals in New York. 

Carol Khoury, Editor-at-Large, reporting from Palestine

In a normal world, you would expect me to write my dispatch this week about the latest version of Palestine International Book Fair, or about Raja Shehadeh making the 2023 National Book Awards finalists list, or the just-concluded Palestine Writes Festival. But this week, Palestine is far from normal, although what we are living now is also déjà vu.

My last dispatch was about Gaza, but it was pleasant news. Little did I know what the following month would hold when I wrote “Each morning, as the sun timidly broke through the horizon, Mosab Abu Toha’s words flowed like a river, weaving tales of resilience and hope from the depths of despair.”

I will give the floor to Mosab this dispatch too:

Picture1 READ MORE…

Weekly Dispatches From the Frontlines of World Literature

September 8, 2023  |  in Dispatches, News, Weekly Roundup  |  by Alan Mendoza Sosa, Alton Melvar M Dapanas, and Carol Khoury

The latest from Palestine, Mexico, the Philippines, and the US!

In this round-up of literary news, our editors report to us on resilience, adaptation, and performance. In Palestine, a remarkable poet is honoured with a prestigious award; in the Philippines, literary works take to the cinema and the stage; and in Mexico City, an annual multidisciplinary book fair brings together literature, music, film, and more. 

Carol Khoury, Editor-at-Large, reporting from Palestine

In the heart of a world often forgotten, where borders and conflict has created an intricate tapestry of endurance, there lives a poet named Mosab Abu Toha. He is a man of extraordinary eloquence, a lyrical visionary born amidst the chaos of Gaza. Each morning, as the sun timidly broke through the horizon, Mosab’s words flowed like a river, weaving tales of resilience and hope from the depths of despair. He perches on his metaphorical throne, the Edward Said Library, a sanctuary of knowledge he had founded in the heart of Gaza.

Mosab’s poetry is a testament to his life—marked by the relentless siege that encircled his homeland. From childhood innocence to the responsibilities of fatherhood, he had witnessed four brutal military onslaughts, yet his verses breathe with a profound humanity that refuses to wither. As Mosab’s words echoed through the world, many took notice of his poetry debut Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza, (City Lights Books, 2022). He was amongst the winners of the Forty-Fourth Annual American Book Awards, announced last week. The book was also a winner of the 2022 Palestine Book Award.

Read an interview with him at PEN America’s weekly series, and a reading and discussion (video and transcript) can also be found at The Jerusalem Fund.

And far from the headlines and the spotlight, in the same enclave, three Gazan women also added their voices to the chorus of survival. Their books, A White Lie by Madeeha Hafez Albatta; Light the Road of Freedom by Sahbaa Al-Barbari; and Come My Children by Hekmat Al-Taweel, bear witness to the strength and courage of the women of Gaza, further enriching the archive of resilience. READ MORE…

Solving for X: In Search of an Elusive Reader

October 20, 2021  |  in Dispatches  |  by Josefina Massot

The issue is that, like “border,” “Latinx” expresses an abstraction; it fails to capture intracommunal differences.

Last week saw the end of Hispanic Heritage Month in the US, a period meant to celebrate the Latino population through a series of countrywide cultural events. New York was, predictably, a hub of activity, and its Feria Internacional del Libro a clear highlight: held virtually in early October, it brought together Hispanic/Latino authors, editors, and critics for talks on craft, industry, and politics. Across several panels, one question seemed to loom large: what do we even mean when we use terms like “Hispanic,” “Latino,” or the more recent “Latinx”? In this brief hybrid piece (half essay, half dispatch), Editor-at-Large Josefina Massot gives us panelists’ take on the issue—and a bit of her own.

I’ve always mistrusted self-touted “movements,” and never more so than now: in the age of the hashtag, most won’t make it past their first bout of virality. My skepticism peaks each time a movement calls itself a “boom”; the lady doth protest too much, I think, and scoff away my irritation. These days, though, I find myself believing in the #NewLatinoBoom. I’m biased, of course: as an Argentine clumping her way through US literary soil, it’s in my interest to believe. Still, the data seem to back me up.

The landscape of Hispanic letters in America has never been lusher: Spanish-speaking writers are earning MFAs, publishing in dozens of magazines and presses, and showcasing their work at a growing number of festivals—key among them, Miami’s, Chicago’s, and (more on this shortly) New York’s. It makes sense: over 60 million Americans identify as Hispanic/Latino, and roughly 40 million are native Spanish speakers; that puts the US roughly on par with top-ranking Colombia, Spain, and Argentina (Mexico comfortably takes the lead).

When I tuned in to the Feria Internacional del Libro de la Ciudad de Nueva York (FILNYC) a couple of weeks ago, I expected my newfound faith to be stoked. I was going to hear from famed author Cristina Rivera Garza, head of the country’s first PhD in Spanish creative writing; reporter Annie Correal would discuss some of her hard-hitting pieces on Latino immigration for The New York Times; author Paola Ramos would tackle her acclaimed essay collection, Finding LatinX; and a series of savvy press reps from across the country would swap industry secrets. READ MORE…