Sayed Kashua, Palestinian author in Israel

20130703180522 1

An interview with columnist Hassnae Bouazza and the Palestinian Sayed Kashua (language: English). A conversation on the upside and downside of authorship in between two worlds. He presents the Dutch edition of his novel 'Second person singular'. Click here to see the video.

Sayed Kashua (Tiga, 1975) is one of the most prominent and promising young Palestinians of the moment. A novelist, journalist and TV critic, he also writes a weekly column for the newspaper Ha’aretz. In 2003, Sayed published his debut novel Dansende Arabieren [Dancing Arabs] (publishers Vassalucci). In 2011, he won the prestigious Bernstein Prize for Tweede persoon enkelvoud [Second person singular] About the work of Sayed Kashua: ‘Dancing in two worlds filled with prejudice, racism and hate does not make for enjoyment. The clever thing about Kashua is his ability to portray both worlds, and his own confusion, in such a frank way.’ Trouw

Hassnae Bouazza
Bouazza is a columnist for Vrij Nederland and Frontaal Naakt, among others, and writes editorials in various media. She has conducted research for the VPRO and produced programmes for various broadcasters. In her editorials, she criticises both the Dutch who stigmatise Muslims and Muslims who do nothing to respond to Wilders and his associates.

On 'Second person singular'
The first narrator is a nameless, dedicated Palestinian criminal lawyer living in East Jerusalem. One day, he comes across a letter written by his wife in an antiquarian copy of Tolstoy’s The Kreutzer Sonata. In this letter, she thanks someone for a wonderful evening. The lawyer becomes crazed with jealousy and embarks on a desperate search for the truth.

Information

Date and time Thursday 3 May 2012 from 20:30 to 22:00 hrs
Location Podium B - Centrale Bibliotheek Den Haag, Spui 68, 5e etage

Line-up

Hassnae Bouazza

(Morocco, 1973) is a journalist, columnist, translator, researcher and producer. She publishes in various media (including Dutch national daily newspaper NRC and women's magazine Linda); runs her own online magazine for culture lovers, Aicha Qandisha. She compiled a story collection about Arab women, Achter de sluier (Behind the Veil, 1999); 2013 saw the publication of her book Arabieren kijken (Looking at Arabs), about "ordinary" people in the Arab world. She made TV programs for various broadcasters, including the documentary series Seks en de Zonde (Sex and Sin). Together with Michelin-starred chef Soenil Bahadoer, she wrote the culinary books Spicy Chef (2020) and Streetfood (2022). She published two further books in 2022: Een koffer vol citroenen (A Suitcase Full of Lemons), a requiem for and portrait of her mother, and Arbeidsmigranten in Nederland (Migrant Labourers in the Netherlands).
20221215132224 2

Sayed Kashua

(Tiga, 1975) is one of the most prominent and promising young Palestinians of the moment. A novelist, journalist and TV critic, he also writes a weekly column for the newspaper Ha’aretZ. In 2003, Sayed published his debut novel Dancing Arabs (publishers Vassalucci). In 2011, he won the prestigious Bernstein Prize for Second person singular. About the work of Sayed Kashua: ‘Dancing in two worlds filled with prejudice, racism and hate does not make for enjoyment. The clever thing about Kashua is his ability to portray both worlds, and his own confusion, in such a frank way.’ Trouw
20120424133321

Discover