The Book of Sana’a

About the event

Although largely unseen behind media rhetoric of war, the city of Sana’a remains one of the most beautiful and enchanting cities in the Middle East. Beset by years of civil war, authoritarian regimes and extreme poverty, it is also the home of an extraordinary community of writers. The latest installment in Comma’s ‘Reading the City’ series is ‘filled with hopes and dreams, with flickers of magic and scathing satire’. It also offers a perfect opportunity to celebrate the writers Sana’a is producing and the art and challenges of translating them.

LAAF, in association with Comma Press, would like to invite you to join us for food and poetry readings, including award winning poet Hamdan Dammag, ahead of readings from the Book of Sana’a.

The event will be chaired by Comma’s Ra Page.

Door open at 12:45pm for light buffet lunch and refreshments and an opportunity to view Mohamed Thulaya’s model of the historic city of Sana’a, followed by readings and music starting at 1:30pm.

Rim Mugahed is a short story writer, essayist, and sociologist from Yemen, currently based in Prague. She is also a programme manager at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, where her work focuses on women, female voices, and social issues.

Laura Kasinof (editor) is a journalist, author and documentary filmmaker. She is a former New York Times Yemen correspondent and has worked in and around the country since 2009. She is the author of Don’t Be Afraid of the Bullets: An Accidental War Correspondent in Yemen (Arcade, 2014) and is currently working on a biography of former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh (forthcoming from Reaktion Books). Laura will be appearing by video link.

Mohammed Ghalayini is a writer, scientist, translator and occasional journalist, whose translations from the Arabic have appeared in numerous previous anthologies for Comma, including The Book of Khartoum, The Book of Ramallah, Palestine + 100 and elsewhere.

Su Annagib is a singer, lecturer and documentary maker of Yemeni heritage.

Suitable for ages 14+

Trigger warning: this event will include discussion of poverty and war.

Venue:

VideOdyssey, 37-45 Windsor St, Toxteth, Liverpool L8 1XE