Un mois de mai littéraire
أيّار، شهرٌ للأدب
May, a literary month
This year, we are partnering with Save Beirut Heritage and actively participating in the Watch Day
Beyt el Kottab (BeK), known in English as the International Writers’ House in Beirut, was formed in 2012. It envisions a dynamic literary Arab world that writes, publishes, and reads. Its mission is to support literary creation that explores critical social issues of our time. It does so by:
– Offering the means and time for literary creation for writers from and in the Arab world through residencies in Beirut and abroad;
– Publishing and translating selected literary texts;
– Extending literary creation through festivals, exhibits, public readings and others.
Our plans include increasing the Lebanese public engagement with local and international literature, and providing a space for Lebanese writers to meet their local, regional and international peers.
Writer’s Residence
This year, Beyt el Kottab is thrilled to welcome Christophe Dabitch for a six-week writer’s residence in Beirut. At the end of his residence, his graphic documentary will be published by La Revue Dessinée in France, and translated to Arabic in partnership with Samandal. In parallel, the author will take part in a series of literary meetings.
Program
Aside from the activities related to the residence of Christophe Dabitch in Lebanon, Beyt el Kottab will take part in other events such as Save Beirut Heritage’s Watch Days.
Friday, 05th May 2017 – 6:30 pm
Debate with Christophe Dabitch and Sonia Ristić at the Café des Lettres, Beirut French Institute, in partnership with Kitabat.
Monday, 10th May 2017 – 8 pm
Literary evening with François Beaune at Onomatopoeia, Sioufi.
Tuesday, 11th May 2017 – 6 pm
Book signing at Antoine Beirut Souks, with Christophe Dabitch and François Beaune.
Thursday, 18th May 2017 – 4 pm
Watch Day launching press conference at Antwork, Spears, in partnership with Save Beirut Heritage.
Saturday, 20th May 2017 – 6:30 pm
Readings by and debate with author Fadi Tofeili and actor Mounzer Baalbaki, in the context of the Watch Day, in partnership with Save Beirut Heritage.
Sunday, 21st May 2017 – 10:30 pm
Literary tour in Zoqaq el Blat with Fadi Tofeili, on the trail of his book Iqtifa2 athar إقتفاء أثر [A Trace to Trail], in the context of the Watch Day, in partnership with Save Beirut Heritage.
Meet the Authors
Christophe Dabitch
Christophe Dabitch was born in 1968 and lives in Bordeaux, France. After studying modern literature (Bordeaux III / Paris IV), politics (Paris II) and journalism (IJBA Bordeaux), he worked as a newspaper and TV freelance journalist (daily press, cultural magazines, literary critic for Matricule des anges) for fifteen years. This experience has given him a liking for documentary and history, both recognizable in his books. He writes various types of fictions as well as comics. He has been contributing to exhibitions, in relation to his writings, gives writing workshops in different contexts. His writing projects can be individual as well as collective.
Fadi Tofeili
Fadi Tofeili is a Lebanese writer, poet, and translator. He is a co-founder and the editor-in-chief of Portal 9: stories and critical writing about the city (2010-2017). He studied interior architecture in the Lebanese University, and did his MA in American Studies in the University of Amsterdam. His writings have been published since the early 90’s in various Lebanese newspapers and publications. He has published three books of poetry. Tofeili has translated many literal and mythological works into Arabic, including: The Myths of the Cherokees by James Mooney, and Shame in the Blood by Tetsuo Miura. His latest book is Iqtifa2 athar إقتفاء أثر [A Trace to Trail], published by the Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts (Ashkal Alwan) in 2014.
Sonia Ristić
Sonia Ristić was born in Belgrade in 1972, and grew up in Former-Yugoslavia and Africa (Congo, Guinea). She has been living in Paris since 1991. After graduating in Literature and Drama, Sonia Ristić worked as an actress, gave drama workshops in general, and for several large NGOs in particular. For several years now, she has dedicated most of her time to writing, and occasionally to producing. She keeps supervising writing and acting workshops in France and abroad. Following a residency in Beirut in 2011, she published Lettres de Beyrouth (2012) and Holiday Inn (2016).
François Beaune
François Beaune was born in 1978 in Clermont-Ferrand. He has written two novels, Un Homme Louche (2009) and Un Ange Noir (2011), and a cabaret show, Le Majestic Louche Palace. He also co-wrote, with Hervé Guilloteau, the play La Victoire – shown in 2011 at the Théâtre Universitaire de Nantes, and has written various radio plays for Arte-Radio. In 2013, he created with Fabienne Pavia a library of these true stories, including texts, audio recordings and videos. The project led to his latest work, La Lune dans le Puits (2013), a collection of portraits of Mediterraneans depicted through their stories and mirrored by the author’s own. Beyt el Kottab hosted François Beaune in residence in 2016.
Meet the Artists
Mounzer Baalbaki
Mounzer Baalbaki is a Lebanese artist who graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts at the Lebanese University in 2002 with a diploma in Theatrical Acting and Directing. He played roles in several theatrical plays both in Lebanon and abroad, including: Ikhraj Kaid Aa’ili [Family Civil Registry] by Lina Saneh (2000); Lucy, La Femme Verticale by Roger Assaf (2002); Les Paravents by Jean-Baptiste Sastre (2003); L’émigré de Brisbane by Nabil Al-Azan (2004); Life is Short Although the Day is Long by Rabih Mroueh (2005); and Mes mains sont plus âgées que moi by Danya Hammoud (2014). He also took part in many short and long movies, including: Mounzer by Samar Kanafani (2003); Falafel by Michel Kamoun (2004); Beirut Express by Houeida Azar (2010); Carlos by Olivier Assayas (2010); Caramel and Where Do We Go Now? by Nadine Labaki (2007, 2011); Stable Unstable by Mahmoud Hojeij (2013); and The Last Man and The valley by Ghassan Salhab (2006 ,2014). Mounzer wrote and presented his first solo performance entitled Rapid Eye Movement in 2012.
Our 2017 Festival Partners
