Hay Festival Beirut 2012: Zico House

Day 1: July 4, 2012

20:30 – 21:30
The revolution will be streamed.

Amr Ezzat and Nasri Atallah 
in conversation with Samir Elbahaie
Internet-based communications are now a crucial source of information for citizens living in countries where press is censored and conflict is rife. News agencies across the globe, The New York Times, Le Monde and Al-Jazeera all rely on blog updates and twitter feeds to stay up to date in places where official information is controlled. The social media phenomenon is particularly relevant in the Middle East at the moment; Amr Ezzat, a blogger from Egypt, and Nasri Atallah, a blogger from Beirut, tell us about the importance of new media in communications. Chaired by Samir Elbahaie, Regional Policy & Foreign Affairs Manager for Google.
(Event in Arabic) 


Day 2 : July 5, 2012

20:00-21:00
Visual stories.

Karrie Fransman, Zeina Bassil and Joumana Medlej 
in conversation with Lana Asfour
Karrie Fransman (UK) came into the public eye with her autobiographical comic strips My Peculiar Life, published in 
The Guardian, and The Night I Lost My Love, printed in The Times, and who is author of the highly acclaimed graphic novel The House that Groaned. Zeina Bassil (Lebanon) is a freelance illustrator, editor 
of La Furie des Glandeurs, an illustration and comic fanzine that tackles social related issues in Lebanon, she also has a column in the monthly French literary supplement L’Orient Littéraire. Joumana Medlej (Lebanon) is a designer, calligrapher and illustrator that has created and published her own graphic novels, works with calligraphy and designs desktop icons and computer games. The three participants will discuss the wonders of comic writing, picture making and storytelling with the journalist Lana Asfour.
(Event in English)

21:30 – 22:30
Storytelling slam

A night of fiction and live readings. Join us for drinks and refreshments while festival authors regale us with readings from their work. 
With Roman Simic (Croatia), Dalia Taha (Palestine), Najwan Darwish (Palestine), Samira Negrouche (Algeria), Miguel Syjuco (Canada/Philippines), Akram Musallam (Palestine), Paolo Giordano (Italy) and Joumana Haddad (Lebanon). Chaired by Jon Gower, writer 
and journalist.
(Several languages)

Day 3: July 4, 2012

20:30 – 21:30
Questions from Hay 25

The Hay Festival is 25 this year, and as part of the celebrations we have put 25 questions to everyone taking part in all our 15 festivals around the world. Please join the panel to discuss three of the questions: Which freedoms are you prepared to trade for greater security? Are religion and democracy incompatible? Teach us something important that you know. With Dalia Taha (Palestine), Óscar Guardiola-Rivera (Colombia), Åsne Seierstad (Norway), Chetan Bhatt (UK) and Najwan Darwish (Palestine). Chaired by Peter Florence, the Hay Festival Director.
(Event in English)

22:00 – 23:00
xanadu*.
The Poeticians Collective

The Poeticians have been sharing their work with intimate audiences in Beirut, Amman and Dubai since 2007. An international collective of writers and word warriors, they read in English, Arabic and French. Forsaking formal structure, they favour a no-rules approach to membership and to poetry. Freedom of expression and the celebration of creativity are at the heart of everything this vibrant and exciting collective stands for. As a special addition to the Hay Festival Beirut, xanadu* will be launching the first volume of poetry collected from the past five years of the Poeticians’ readings and performances…all rants, rambles, musings and lyrical histories collected into a community book that encompasses diverse kinds of poetic writing. Readings by Mazen Zahreddine (English), Saseen Kawzally (Arabic), Zena el Khalil (English), Tina Fish (English), Susan Talhouk (Arabic) and surprise guests. Chaired by Hind Shoufani, founder, curator and MC of the Poeticians Collective.
(Readings in English, Arabic and French)

Special Formula:Please contact Beirut Art Center to book tickets.

Email: info@beirutartcenter.org

Tel: +961 (0)1 397 018

Special Feature:All events are free but ticketed.