Banipal

16/05/2024

A straightforward account, bearing witness.

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09/05/2024

Now out in English. translation, the debut novel of Iraqi author Azher Jirjees, who was forced to flee his home country after zealots tried to assassinate him for a satirical work about the terrorist militias that abounded in Iraq after the 2003 US invasion.

https://www.banipal.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=379
Available as paperback and e-book.

09/05/2024

Out Now, THE SECRETS OF FOLDER 42. Can you find the secrets?

Two storylines play out across continents and true historical events as Moroccan author Abdelmajid Sebbata balances a tightrope melding reality and fiction and invites readers to join him and his characters in discovering the secrets of Folder 42.

https://www.banipal.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=380

25/04/2024

I am very happy to announce two new fiction titles from Banipal Books: At Rest in the Cherry Orchard by Azher Jirjees, translated by Jonathan Wright and The Secrets of Folder 42 by Abdelmajid Sebbata, translated by Raphael Cohen. They were both officially published on 10 May. Both have e-book editions.

25/04/2024

We are pleased to announce our two new fiction titles, officially published next month. They are: At Rest in the Cherry Orchard by Azher Jirjees, translated by Jonathan Wright, and The Secrets of Folder 42 by Abdelmajid Sebbata, translated by Raphael Cohen.

23/04/2024

Tomorrow (6.30pm UK time) is the bookclub meeting on Shadow of the Sun, with Kuwaiti author Taleb Alrefai and his translator Nashwa Nasreldin both joining the discussion.
Do email [email protected] to get the Zoom Login details.

15/03/2024

The next Bookclub, on Wednesday 24 April, 6.30pm to 8.00pm GMT/UK time, will be discussing the novel Shadow of the Sun with its author Taleb Alrefai and its translator Nashwa Nasreldin. Published by Banipal Books, October 2023, it is available as a paperback and an ebook. ALL WELCOME. DO JOIN IUS FOR THIS ZOOM DISCUSSION with one of Kuwait’s leading authors, who founded the highly successful Almultaqa Award for the Arabic Short Story and his translator Nashwa Nasreldin.

Email [email protected] to request the Zoom login details.

07/03/2024

https://www.zayedaward.ae/en/media.center/news/sheikh.zayed.book.award.unveils.shortlists.for.its.18th.edition.aspx
Sheikh Zayed Book Award unveils shortlists for its 18th edition

Sheikh Zayed Book Award unveils shortlists for its 18th edition Abu Dhabi, 07 Mar 2024 The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA), organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), has unveiled the shortlists for its 18th edition, showcasing an array of remarkable literary works from around the world...

06/03/2024

Do join us for the 2024 Banipal Visiting Writer Fellowship's annual lecture on Monday 11 March. It will be given by the current Fellow, the Palestinian poet and playwright Dalia Taha, 5-7pm, at the Lindisfarne Centre, St Aidan's College, University of Durham.

ALL WELCOME
Just scan the QR code on the image to book a place.

11/02/2024

I’ve been listening to The Chris Hedges Report on the Israeli Government destruction of Gaza’s educational institutions. All 13 Universities deliberately blown up, plus schools.

There are snippets of news about this in the mainstream media, but the world’s people deserve to see the whole picture of what’s happening in Gaza.

On Jan. 17, the Israeli military detonated 315 mines to destroy Gaza's last standing university, al-Israa University, located south of Gaza City. For 70 days...

22/01/2024

A message to all Banipal's followers. We invite you to attend the Celebration of the 2023 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation with the Winner and the 2023 Lecture at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London, either in-person or online. It's 6-9pm UK time (in-person) and 6.30-8.15pm UK time (online). We would love to see you there.
Just go to this link and choose which type of attendance you would like. https://www.banipaltrust.org.uk/lecture/lecture2023.cfm

18/01/2024

Banipal's next big event is on Thursday 8 February – A Celebration of LIterary Translation with the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize Annual Lecture by KHALED MATTAWA and the Prize's 2023 winner LUKE LEAFGREN. ALL WELCOME.
Click on this link for all details and registration.https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/saif-ghobash-banipal-prize-arabic-literary-translation-2023-annual-lecture-and-2023

11/12/2023

On Wednesday 13 Dec, Mary Beard's series on BEING ROMAN, on Radio 4,meets Barates and Regina, the subject of Nouri Al-Jarrah's book The Stone Serpent, translated by Catherine Cobham and published by Banipal Books.
In this episode Nouri Al-Jarrah talks about his book and reads from it, with Samira Kawar interpreting. You can listen to it now, or wait for 11.30am GMT on Wednesday. Enjoy. This is the direct llink: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gq54cg

01/12/2023

The Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize For Arabic Literary Translation Shortlist is announced. Six terrific translations. Congratulations to the translators, the authors and the publishers.

28/11/2023

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/27/khaled-khalifa-obituary?fbclid=IwAR1NNZixPwuaTp_H94qfUR3y2uR8q8FfTSORi7PsiOU2Fwu-b4NaYiy-0qo

Syrian author of six novels about his war-riven country, including the award-winning No Knives in the Kitchens of This City

20/11/2023

https://www.zayedaward.ae/en/media.center/news/18th.sheikh.zayed.book.award.reveals.longlists.for.literature.young.author.childrens.literature.and.editing.of.arabic.manuscripts.categories.aspx

18th Sheikh Zayed Book Award Reveals Longlists for Literature, Young Author, Children’s Literature, and Editing of Arabic Manuscripts Categories Abu Dhabi, 17 Nov 2023 The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has revealed the longlists for its 18th edition (...

08/11/2023

On Wednesday 22 November, the Banipal Book Club will be discussing The Tent Generations, Palestinian Poems and we're pleased to say that Mohammed Sawaie, who selected, translated and introduced the poems, will be joining us. For more information click https://www.banipal.co.uk/banipal_books/121/the-tent-generations-palestinian-poems/

07/11/2023

Today Banipal features one of Palestine's great story-tellers – Mahmoud Shukair with an excerpt from his novel Shadows of the Family that was published in Banpal 70 – Mahmoud Shukair, Writing Jerusalem (Spring 2021). Banipal Books also published his first major publication in English translation, Mordechai's Moustache and his Wife's Cats, and other stories.
https://www.banipal.co.uk/selections/115/369/mahmoud-shukair/

04/11/2023

Today we've put online three poems by Mosab Abu Toha that were published in Banipal 71 (Summer 2021). Mosab lives in Gaza, and in 2014 founded the Edward Said Public Library for English-language books after finding a book in rubble after previous bombardment destroyed most of the libraries. Click this link to read or go to Banipal home page. https://www.banipal.co.uk/selections/119/395/mosab-abu-toha/

02/11/2023

Today we've put online a poem by Liana Badr, published in Banipal 74 (Summer 2022), translated by Jonathan Wright. It's title: Words on the Run from the Thrall of the Night. It's available from Banipal home page as below, and from this link: https://www.banipal.co.uk/selections/124/394/liana-badr/

01/11/2023

Back in Spring 2003, Banipal's double issue No 15/16 was published. Its main feature was on Palestinian literature, with around 56 authors included. It opened with an excerpt, translated by Sargon Boulus, from Mural, Mahmoud Darwish's long poem Jidariyya that was published in 2000. There is a link to it on the Banipal website homepage www.banipal.co.uk, and here https://www.banipal.co.uk/.../111/mahmoud-darwish-1941-2008/

31/10/2023

Banipal is making the second issue of the magazine devoted to Palestinian writers, that is No 45 – Writers from Palestine (2012), freely available in its digital format, courtesy of our digital partner Exact Editions. Click to read https://bit.ly/3FFvhmc The complete digital archive is now only available for institutions and libraries to subscribe to.

25/10/2023

Today the novel Shadow of the Sun by Taleb Alrefai is officially published by Banipal Books. Translated from the original Arabic by Nashwa Nasreldin and available as paperback and eBook. Check out Banipal website for all details. https://www.banipal.co.uk/banipal_books/128/shadow-of-the-sun/

19/10/2023

In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act.
~George Orwell

13/10/2023

I’ve just signed support for this Avaaz campaign to protect children in Israel and Palestine. There’s a way to protect Palestinian kids facing bombardment & free the Israeli kids held hostage – but there isn’t much time. Please join me in this call now: https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/israel_palestine_save_the_kids_34/?

Saving kids in Palestine and Israel could be the first step to ending the bloodshed

11/10/2023

Support MAP's work and help Palestinians living under occupation and as refugees

11/10/2023

More than ever our hearts are surely aching at the hundreds of innocents lost in this new “war”. War is no solution with Israel even though one may understand the pressure towards it. How can living in the disgusting prison of Gaza produce anything else?

How can there be a secular all-encompassing country of Palestine/Israel for all faiths? That is the big question, not playing the western blame game of continually finding ways to divide. As western “powers” excel themselves in offering military support to “Bibbi”, why is there NO call for the only possible solution - a country for all who hail from that fractious land and who live in it now? That is the only question that needs answering. Let’s bring it back to the fore as it was before (I do remember this from 50 or more years ago).

Hamas (rightly titled Islamic Resistance Movement) is not the future, bearing in mind it ignores (denies) the diverse and multi-religious nature of Palestine and wants to install an Islamic country. But the desperation of living in a prison skews the logic of life, so on 9 October it erupted and will continuing to erupt. Human beings cannot remain imprisoned for their whole life.

I look to find the leaders to work for one country where all citizens can live in peace and tolerance, where all religions are accepted, where the history of the area is respected - on behalf of the whole world, where empathy and understanding between different communities is the A1 priority.

This may sound like a pipe dream but I urge everyone, particularly in Israel and occupied Palestine, to dream too for that possible future.

11/10/2023

What’s on many people’s minds is why is there no solution to the Palestine “problem” after 75 years? Is there any international law? How many walls must be built and knocked down for international law to be enacted? Meanwhile murderous destruction and killings continue, with more and more vengeful ferocity and will never abate.

05/10/2023

7 brilliant poetry publishers have contributed issues from their digital archives as part of a showcase focussing on National Poetry Day's 2023 theme of 'Refuge' ✍️

Read, browse and search issues from the archives of:

- Banipal
- Magma Poetry
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- New Welsh Review
- PN Review
- Poetry Book Society
- Poetry Wales magazine

https://exacted.me/NationalPoetryDay2023Showcase5thNovember

Read the blog post for highlights and additional commentary: https://exacted.me/TakingRefugeInPoetry