Category: Talk

Historical Perspectives

Talk

January, 2003. Together with the usual holiday cards, an anonymous postcard is delivered to the Berest family home. On the front, a photo of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. On the back, the names of Anne Berest’s maternal great-grandparents, and their children — all killed at Auschwitz.

Anne Berest’s The Postcard is among the most acclaimed and beloved French novels of recent years. Luminous and gripping to the very last page, it is an enthralling investigation into family secrets, a poignant tale of mothers and daughters, and a vivid portrait of twentieth-century Parisian intellectual and artistic life. Anne Berest will discuss this multi-award-winning book with Professor Catriona Seth (Oxford University).

Vivi Valiamé will provide British Sign Language interpretation and translation for this discussion.

Women's Rights Now

Talk

Emilienne Malfatto’s short novel Que sur toi se lamente le Tigre won the 2021 Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman. The English edition May the Tigris Grieve for You was longlisted for the 2024 Republic of Consciousness Prize. The chronicle of a death foretold – that of a young Iraqi woman who has committed the ultimate taboo of becoming pregnant out of wedlock, Malfatto's powerful poly-vocal story evokes Greek tragedy. Lorna Scott Fox, poet Naima Rashid and musician Maia Mutawi, will read out the entire book. After the reading, the audience will have the opportunity to meet the author, and purchase signed copies of the book.

Historical Perspectives

Talk

In My Port of Beirut, Lebanese author, illustrator and visual artist Lamia Ziadé weaves together the play-by-play of the explosion that occurred in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020. A tragedy that is also the subject of a series of reports by Albert Londres Prize-winning journalist Caroline Hayek. Together with Professor Lina Khatib (SOAS University of London) and writer Malu Halasa, they will investigate the historical and political background of the event, as well as the personal stories and the crystallisation of the frustration of a people torn between anger and love.

In partnership with English Pen

From Marseille with Love

Talk

Let's put the spotlight on Marseille and its writers today! Local authors Vérane Frédiani, known for her writings celebrating the flavours of her hometown, Marion Brunet and François Thomazeau, renowned for their detective stories set in Marseille, will ignite your curiosity to explore their beloved city. Joined by broadcaster, writer and photographer Johny Pitts, who spent time with local communities in the city, and journalist Mary Fitzgerald, they will give you an authentic taste of its vibrant energy.

From Marseille with Love

Talk

Beyond Words Festival honours the city of Marseille and its writers. Discover the Phocaean city and its inhabitants with Rémi Duchêne, author of L'Escale des géants, Marseille et les écrivains, 1830-1900, through some of the most illustrious literary tributes to Marseille’s rich heritage. Come along for readings by Candice Desmet, actor, director and founder of Act'in Theatre and Briac Lemetais, actor with Act'in Theatre, of the most emblematic texts by Marcel Pagnol and other literary greats such as Albert Cohen and Colette.

Historical Perspectives

Talk

Discovered unexpectedly in 2021, this acclaimed yet controversial work offers a vivid portrayal of soldiers' experiences during the First World War, focusing on the journey of Ferdinand Bardamu, the main character from Céline's Journey to the End of the Night. Join us to explore the secrets of War with translator Sander Berg, Damian Catani, Senior Lecturer in Languages, Linguistics and Cultures (Birkbeck, University of London), and publisher Alessandro Gallenzi.

Tribute to Maryse Condé

Talk

Celebrated Guadeloupean author Maryse Condé has left us on 2 April 2024 at the age of 90. A strong contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, she was best known for her novel Segu, which deals with the African diaspora that resulted from slavery and colonialism in the Caribbean. Mirroring a conference on Maryse Condé at Goldsmiths University, this discussion will delve into the intricacies of mixed identities in the Caribbean. Renowned writers Jean D'Amérique (Haiti), Estelle-Sarah Bulle (Guadeloupe), and Jason Allen-Paisant (Jamaica) will talk about the Caribbean’s influence on their work with Prof. Clare Finburgh Delijani (Goldsmiths University), engaging with questions of migration, heritage, justice, and creativity.