Voices of Resilience

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Following a widely-publicised and sold-out event in Manchester in April, Comma Press will be bringing Voices of Resilience to Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 18th.

About Voices of Resilience

Listed Under Arts and Crafts Events / Nights Out Events / Talks and Lectures Events

Comma Press will be bringing Voices of Resilience to Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 18 in collaboration with a cast of Scottish and international readers and performers. Voices of Resilience presents a heartfelt and defiant performance of Gazan writing in the face of ongoing genocide, with readings of prose and poetry centred on Atef Abu Saif’s haunting first hand account, Don’t Look Left: A Diary of Genocide, published by Comma Press and now translated into 13 languages.

The evening will be led by the Scottish-Syrian actor Firas Ibrahim, reading excerpts from Abu Saif’s diary, with poetry performed by Ahmed Nehad, Nada Shawa, Noor Hemani, and Basma Ghalayini. These performances will be accompanied by traditional oud music from Ahmed Adnan and a visual score from Gazan filmmaker Hossam Abo Shammallah. The event is directed by the British-Palestinian artist and theatre director Dani Abulhawa in collaboration with Comma Press.

Nada Shawa, a Palestinian poet from Gaza who was brought to Scotland for specialist treatment for cerebral palsy, and who will be performing her own poetry, says: “I am delighted to participate in Voices of Resilience, especially at this most dreadful and sad time personally. Raising the voices of Palestine, I believe, is defying those who wish to exterminate us.”

The event will be followed by a Q&A featuring members of the VoR collective and local activists including Willie Black, poet Iyad Hayatleh and author Jessica Gaitán Johannesson who is active with Fossil Free Books and will be able to address, for the first time, the false narratives spun surrounding Bailie Gifford's EIBF sponsorship drop-out.

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