The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation is teaming up with The Middle East Institute (MEI) Arts and Culture Center to present Narrating The Middle East: The D.C. Arab Literature Festival on Tuesday, May 17 and Wednesday, May 18, 2022, as part of the 19th edition of its flagship Abu Dhabi Festival.
The festival, which is co-sponsored by George Mason University’s Alan Cheuse Center for International Writers, will feature leading Arab and diaspora writers, poets, publishers, and experts on Middle Eastern literature, with panel discussions exploring new writing from and about the Arab world, the challenges of publishing and translating Middle Eastern works, and how to grow the Arab world’s literary infrastructure.
Kate Seelye, Executive Vice President of the Middle East Institute says, The festival is the first in a series of cultural events co-hosted by MEI in Washington, D.C. and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival. “The Middle East Institute is thrilled to be kicking off our cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation by showcasing the voices of Arab novelists, poets, and the networks that support them.” “Literature allows audiences to experience the world through the eyes of others, and the D.C. Arab Literature Festival provides a window into the complicated themes that Middle Eastern writers are currently contending with.”
HE Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival stated that, “We are thrilled to cooperate with the Middle East Institute to deliver a unique literature festival that exposes the work and experiences of Arab writers both at home and abroad. “The two-day online event allows readers from all over the world to learn about the cultural significance of Arab literature from established and emerging authors in the region, while also emphasizing the critical role that cultural diplomacy plays in bringing people together through enlightening experiences and cross-cultural dialogue.”
The festival will take place through Zoom on Tuesday, May 17th, and Wednesday, May 18th, 2022, with a closing, invite-only event in person at the Middle East Institute, 1763 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, which will also be streamed live for virtual audiences.