From its founding in 1981, throughout its entire thirty-two years, the Paris Salon du livre never witnessed a protest by writers, poets, translators or publishing houses. The first such demonstration–perhaps the first in history—took place at this year’s book fair. The initial reaction by some of the visitors when they saw the writers’ protest…
2015, The Migrants
Writing in Transient Places/ الكتابة في أمكنة عابرة
by Iman Humaydan •
This is the first time that I’ve finished writing a novel since I’ve been living in France. I believed that writing outside of my country would increase my feelings of being no place. But now I am able to say that writing itself can become a home. It occupies the place of home and accompanies…
2015, The Migrants
Murderous Identities/ الهويات القاتلة
by Iman Humaydan •
In 2008, I came to Paris from Lebanon to attend the annual Salon du livre, for a book launch and signing of my second novel, Wild Mulberries, which had at that time just been translated into French (published by Verticales). The day of my book signing, I read in the media about Arab calls to…