Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Second Palestine Festival of Literature will travel to the West Bank in May to continue what began last year and perpetuate discussions on art and literature between Palestinian and international authors and critics.

PalFest organizers announced last week that the performances, lectures and workshops that make up the festival will take place across the West Bank between 23 and 28 May.

Part of the mandate of the festival , “because of the difficulties Palestinians face under military occupation in travelling around their own country,” is to travel to its audiences in the West Bank. This year’s festival includes stops in Hebron and Jenin, as well as Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem.

According to its organizers, the Palestine Festival of Literature was inspired by a call of the late Palestinian thinker Edward Said, who said we must, “Reaffirm the power of culture over the culture of power.”

International authors will be meeting and discussing ideas with Palestinian writers, and will be visiting and reading in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, as well as at local schools and universities, including the Arab American University in Jenin, and Hebron University.

The authors scheduled to take part in the festival are: Michael Palin, Suad Amiry, Victoria Brittain, Carmen Callil, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Suheir Hammad, Nathalie Handal, Jeremy Harding, Rachel Holmes, Robin Yassin-Kassab, Brigid Keenan, Jamal Mahjoub, Henning Mankell, Deborah Moggach, Claire Messud, Alexandra Pringle, Pru Rowlandson, Raja Shehadeh, Ahdaf Soueif and M G Vassanji.

Date: 22 / 04 / 2009