ICORN Guest Writers at Kapittel 13 - Stavanger International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Speech
In cooperation with ICORN and Norwegian PEN, Kapittel launches a new concept, FRIBAR, where ICORN guest writers and other prominent writers and poets join forces in a fusion of poetry, music and performance. Anna Funder gives a lecture on the courage of writers and Kareem Amer participates in a panel debate to discuss women’s voice and position after the revolution in Egypt.
Anna Funder – Where does courage come from?
The great Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was ‘brave beyond belief.’ An increasing number of writers are, like her, forced to fight against oppression, censorship, surveillance and persecution. How can we make sense of such courage? And how can we honour it? Anna Funder has a try in the ICORN lecture “Where does courage come from?” that takes place at Stavanger Cultural Center Friday 20. September at 9 pm.
A dedicated lawyer and human rights activist, Anna Funder has during the last few years been strongly involved in ICORN’s work for persecuted writers. She is the Australian New York based writer behind the award-winning bestsellers Stasiland; Stories from behind the Berlin Wall (2005) and All that I am (2012).
Anna Funder can also be heard in Voices from a century, where she engages in a conversation with the historian Geert Mak. Meet the brilliant storytellers in a conversation about the important voices of 20th century Europe, and which voices to listen to in the 21st.
Women’s voices in Egypt
Kareem Amer is ICORN guest writer in Bergen City of Refuge and will participate in the panel debate about women’s voices in Egypt on Thursday 19. September at the Cultural Center. Amer is an Egyptian blogger and former law student. He got the attention of the Egyptian government when he wrote about injustice and suppression in Egypt on his blog "Modern Discussion", and was the first blogger in Egypt explicitly arrested for the content of his writing. He was released on 2010 after massive international campaigns and three years in prison.
FRIBAR: Poetry and music
From Thursday – Friday evening at 10 pm, Kapittel presents FRIBAR - the festivals new stage for delicate verse and strong voices! A number of prominent and award-winning writers and activists will join forces in a mix of poetry reading, performance and music. Among them are Mansur Rajih, Hari Kunzru, Margie Orford, Chenjerai Hove, Manal Al-Sheik and not least, Stavangers new guest writer in conversation with Elisabeth Dyvik.
FRIBAR PROGRAMME AND PROFILES
Thursday 19. - Saturday 20. September at 10 pm
Cementen Bar
THURSDAY 19. SEPTEMBER
Music by Johan Egdetveit, accordion
Host: Elisabeth Dyvik, ICORN
Mansur Rahji (Yemen)
A renowned revolutionary poet and political activist from Yemen, in 1983, only a few days after being married, Mansur Rajih was imprisoned and sentenced to death. After 15 years of imprisonment, he was finally freed in 1998, following major campaigns on his behalf by among others Amnesty and PEN International. Mansur went straight from prison in Yemen to Stavanger, Norway, which was among the first locations to become cities of shelter for persecuted writers. Rajih has written and published numerous poetry collections, novels and essays and his life has been subject to several short films. Among some of his published works are: Text Memorial to the Unknown Victim, Outside of Prison, Inside of Body, Life Conditional, From there.
Easterine Kire (Nagaland)
Easterine Kire is a poet, writer and a performer from Nagaland, on the border between India and Burma. Because of the conflicts at home, lacking freedom of speech and constant fear of her family’s life, she arrived in Tromsø city of refuge as guest writer in 2005. With subtlety and humour Kire writes stories from her home country that she recounts vivaciously. Among her published works are Jazzpoetry and other poems and Bitter Wormwood.
Hari Kunzru (India/UK)
British-Indian Hari Kunzrus five novels have harvested great reviews. They have in common their exploration between the global and the individual, the heritage from colonialism and consequences of migration. His last book, Guds Without Men was published in Norwegian last year.
Stavangers new guest writer
In conversation with Elisabeth Dyvik, ICORN
FRIDAY 20. SEPTEMBER
Music by Battle of Santiago (Sweden)
Host: Anders Heger, PEN International
Margie Orford (South Africa)
South African Margie Orford is a writer of crime novels, an environmentalist and anti apartheid activist, and is referred to as South Africas’ queen of murder mysteries. During the apartheid regime she was imprisoned due to her resistance to the establishment.
Chenjerai Hove (Zimbabwe)
Chenjerai Hove is a leading figure of post-colonial Zimbabwean literature. He's one of Zimbabwe's finest writers now living in exile for fear of his life. A severe critic of Robert Mugabe, Chenjerai was forced into exile in 2001. A poet, novelist, play writer and essayist, Chenjerais novels offer a fresh look into his country, like chronicles that defy and cross the boundaries between past, present and future. It was with his novels Bones (1988) and Shadows (1991) that he first gained wide international recognition.
Manal Al-Sheikh (Irak)
Manal Al-Sheik is a journalist, poet and activist and has been an active participant in the Arab Union of Writers since 1993. Since 1996, Al-Sheik has published novels and collections of her own poetry as well as editing an anthology of modern Iraqi poetry. Iraq is one of the most dangerous places for people who write and express their opinions publicly – especially if you are a woman, a writer and a human rights activist. Al-Sheik fled her country and arrived in Stavanger in 2009 as a guest writer and has published a number of poetry and essays.
Etgar Keret
Etgar Keret is one of Israels most famous writers and filmmakers. He has reached a large audience with films and his fantastic short stories. Suddenly, a Knock on the Door is his latest collection published in Norwegian.
SATURDAY 21. SEPTEMBER
Host: Helge Lunde, ICORN
Carles Torner (Catalonia)
Carles Torner is a Catalan writer and has published a number of poetry books in Catalan. In 1998 he received the National Critics Award for Viure després (life afterwards). Torner worked with PEN International for nine years and is now the Head of the Literature and the Humanities Department of the Institut Ramon Llull, which aims for the international promotion and translation of Catalan literature.
Anna Funder (Australia)
Anna Funder is the Australian New Yourk based writer who is behind the awardwinning bestsellers Stasiland; stories from behind the Berlin wall (2005) and All that I am (2012). Funder is also a dedicated lawyer and a human rights activist and has during the last few years been strongly involved in ICORN’s work for persecuted writers.
Mazen Maarouf (Palestina)
Mazen Maarouf is a Palestinian writer and poet. He grew up in exile in Lebanon and has never visited his homeland. A persistent political writer and commentator, Maarouf had to seek new exile after publishing a row of critical articles about the Syrian regime. He is Reykjavik’s first ICORN guest writer and his poetry is translated into several languages.
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