ICORN at the Frankfurt Book Fair 10 -14 October

For information on both events se below. Find entire programe for Weltempfang - centre for politics, literature and translation here.

Saturday, 13 October 2012, 1.30-2.30 pm
'Home and Exile - African Diaspora challenging creativity in Mother Africa'

Many African artists, writers and intellectuals have been living in Europe or North America for many years, in more or less voluntary exile. But in many African countries, arts, literature and intellectual discourse are flourishing – sometimes against the odds of rigid and oppressive political structures.
Are African writers who have been living in Europe for many years alienated from the African continent and its creativity? And is the notion debatable that African art or creative writing are only „authentic“ when they are being produced on the African continent?

Participants:

• Véronique Tadjo (Côte d’Ivoire/South Africa) is one of Africa’s most versatile writers. She is a poet, a novelist, an essayist, a graphic artist, has written children’s books and has conducted many creativity workshops for children and teenagers. Her work has been widely translated.
• Tendai Frank Tagarira,, writer and journalist, had to leave his native Zimbabwe and is now living in Denmark as an ICORN guest writer. He has started prolifically writing only in exile. He has published novels, critical essays, poetry, mostly published in his own publishing house.
• Priya Basil grew up in Kenya, studied literature in England. Her first novel (Ishq and Mushq, London 2007) was well received internationally. Her second novel (The Obscure Logic of the Heart, London 2010) was published in German translation in 2012. She is living in Berlin and London

Chair: Peter Ripken (ICORN)

Cooperation: ICORN International Cities of Refuge Network; Shahrazad – Stories for life; litprom – Society for the Promotion of African, Asian and Latin American literature.

Sunday, 14 October 2012, 2.30 - 3.30 pm
'Fortress Europe - The Stockholm Tribunal 12'

People who flee to Europe, for example from Africa or the Arab World, are often met with disbelief and suspicion. Many are directly sent back, many are coming to death in the process, others are held in detention centres, many - the lucky ones? - are being subjected to lengthy asylum processes. The vast majority of asylum applications are rejected, many refugees are seeking illegality in order to survive. Inspired by the International War Crimes Tribunal held in Stockholm in 1967, by among others Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre, Tribunal 12 held Europe accountable for the failures of Europe’s relation with Africa and the Arab World. Tribunal 12 was held in Stockholm in May 2012. This event is taking up the issues raised then in another form.

Participants:

• Parvin Ardalan, writer and human rights activist, had to leave Iran in 2010 to avoid the threat of a prison sentence and found refuge in Sweden. She was a jury member of Tribunal 12. She is representing the ICORN writers on the ICORN Board.
• Karl Kopp, Director of European affairs, Pro Asyl (NGO), Germany
• Martin Glasenapp, expert for migration and Middle East with medico international (NGO), Germany

Chair: Peter Ripken (ICORN)

Cooperation: ICORN International Cities of Refuge Network; Shahrazad – Stories for life; litprom – Society for the Promotion of African, Asian and Latin American literature.; pro asyl, Germany; medico international, Germany