Symposium

This one day symposium sets out to examine the contemporary danger of words as it affects exiled writers. It will interrogate diverse aspects of the Danger of Words from denying exiled writers the freedom to write about the ills in their societies, to the manipulation of words, as it affects exiled writers, by dark and sinister forces in our established democracies.

Exiled writers and scholars, including those from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan, will examine the ramifications of the country of origin’s continuing censorship of exiled writers’ literary production post exile and of the silencing in the country of destination, in relation to the writers’ literary, aesthetic and ontological negotiation and resistance to it. Exiled literary voices will articulate their response to the implosion of liberalism in the country of origin and the crisis of liberalism in the countries of destination throughout Europe with the rise of the xenophobic right, and of the US right. In a further session on the danger of words, Jewish and Muslim poets will express their own nuanced and varied personal subjectivities and narratives resisting the simplistic and dangerous identities imposed on them.

The symposium will conclude with an exiled writers’ poetry recital.

Program

[ 10.00 to 10.15 ]

Welcome and Introduction: Dr Sara Marzagora and Dr Jennifer Langer

[ 10.15 to 11.30 – panel 1 ]

Literary Voices and the Implosion of Liberalism in the Country of Origin, chair: Dr Nadia Faydh.

Edin Suljic: Terra Incognita

Bejan Matur: Sea of Faith

Suhrab Sirat: Voices of Young Afghan Poets post 9.11.

[ 11.30 to 1.00 – panel 2 ]

Forbidden: Censorship Across Borders, chair: Dr Abol Froushan

Hamid Ismailov: Post-Exilic Censorship Uzbekistan

Ali Abdolrezaei: Post-Exilic Censorship Iran

Alemu Tabeje Ayele: Post-Exilic Censorship Ethiopia

[ 1.00 to 1.45 ]

lunch break

[ 1.45 to 3.15 ]

Round Table – The Danger of Words in the Country of Destination:

[ On The Frontline ]

Jewish and Muslim writers’ self representation – discussant/chair: Dr Jennifer Langer

Dr George Szirtes

Sabrina Mahfouz

Dr Aviva Dautch

Reza Hiwa

[ 3.15 to 3.45 ]

tea and coffee

[ 3.45 to 5.20 – Panel 3 ]

Danger of Words in the Country of Destination, chair: Abbas Faiz

Leonardo Boix: Poetry and Journalism in parallel: A Latin American perspective

Annie Holmes and Dr Olumide Popoola: To find a Story and Not to Tell it.

Annie Webster: Stick to Your Story to Save Your Life: The Dangers of Storytelling in Exile

Frances Grahl: title tba

[ 5.20 to 6.15 ]

Poetry Recital by exiled poets on the ‘Danger of Words in the Age of Danger’, Host: Catherine Davidson

Alemu Tabeje Ayele

Barbara Lopez

George Szirtes

£12 for non-Exiled Writers Ink members; £8 for EWI members; students and asylum seekers free with ID, to include tea and coffee.

• 1) Pay at the door

• 2) via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-danger-of-words-in-the-age-of-danger-symposium-tickets-32894648780