Iceland – Yrsa Sigur
ð
ard
ó
ttir, master of Icelandic thrillers
It’s not only the Swedes who have a way with thrillers – their Nordic neighbour has been producing its fair share of acclaimed authors, the biggest of whom is Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. She will be discussing her nail-biting series featuring the lawyer Thóra Gudmundsdóttir.
•
Monday, 7.45pm to 8.30pm at The Tent
Call Me Gogol: The name as identity in The Namesake
With Jhumpa Lahiri’s acclaimed 2004 novel The Namesake translated into Arabic, Jordanian literary critic Fakhri Saleh and the novel’s translator, Sura Khrais, explore its themes and relevance to the region.
•
Sunday, 5.45pm to 6.30pm at the Literature Oasis
Boussou Ganga: An evening of Gnawa Music
Among the hustle and bustle of the book fair, this intimate gig will feature Hassan Boussou and band. The Moroccan is hailed as one of the leading purveyors of gnawa, a North African mystical genre. He will present a set featuring traditional tracks and original songs.
•
Monday, 8.30pm to 9.30pm at The Discussion Sofa
Proverbs without borders
The Emirati poet and veteran translator Shihab Ghanem leads a quirky discussion on how certain international pearls of wisdom can get lost in translation.
•
Tuesday, 7.15pm to 8pm at the Literature Oasis
Homage to Sheikh Zayed
The book fair will conclude with a special session dedicated to the Father of the Nation. Ali Abid and Hamdy Tamam will discuss Sheikh Zayed’s vision in developing the UAE’s cultural scene.
•
Wednesday, 6.45pm to 7.30pm at The Discussion Sofa
•
Live English translation is available for all Arabic sessions and vice versa.
For details on all sessions, visit
sasaeed@thenational.ae
