Joumana Haddad
(Lebanon, 1970) is a poet, journalist, translator, editor and consultant. In her work she focuses on eroticism and the liberation of Arab women from their paternalistic yoke. Hoe ik Sheherazade heb vermoord, bekentenissen van een boze Arabische vrouw (How I killed Scheherazade, confessions of an angry Arab woman) in 2010 attracted a great deal of international attention. In this autobiographical essay she stood up for the sexual liberation of Arab women - at the same time condemning western clichés. Haddad speaks seven languages and has translated various works of prose and poetry into and from Arabic. As head of the cultural pages of the Lebanese daily An Nahar she interviewed well-known writers such as Umberto Eco, Wole Soyinka and Paul Auster. By the end of 2008 she launched Jasad (Arabic for body), the first Arab erotic cultural magazine. The flamboyant writer now works on a Ph.D. at the Sorbonne on the translation of the Marquis de Sade in Arabic. A selection of her poetry can be read in English translation on www.joumanahaddad.com. Her work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, Spanish, Polish, English and Italian, and she has won numerous international literary prizes.
Past events
Poetry and Politics
Joumana Haddad and Bejan Matur: a Lebanese and a Turkish writer, who, apart from being a poet and a writer are also concerned columnists. A conversation hosted by Bram Vermeulen on their work, their political stand and literary commitment. In English.
Wet Dreams on a Winter's Night
Marion Bloem, Bernice Chauly, Astrid Theunissen and Joumana Haddad: liberated women talk to Petra Stienen about the joys of shamelessness. In English.
Mad as Hell - part 3
Özcan Akyol and Joumana Haddad in an eloquent, passionate ranting. English and Dutch.
International poetry: The Right Word
The renowned poets Esther Jansma, Joumana Haddad, Nese Yasin and Laksmi Pamuntjak read and talk about their quest for the right word. Host: Tsead Bruinja. In English.
