Susan Abraham - Malaysia

Note

So sorry I haven't blogged for two days. Just working very hard on the promotion of my little book and trying to tie up the loose ends of the second one. Incidentally, although it's about to snow here in Dublin - the outdoors feels festive in that still, hushed way - I am as right as rain, athough I thought that I had been exposed to some cold and may have fallen ill yesterday. Thankfully, this did not happen.  Have to go downtown but will be back later to post my thoughts on whatever takes my fancy, later on today. Meanwhile, have a wonderful Friday.

Call the Ships of Dar-es-Salaam out now on Barnes&Noble & Amazon Books

Its still early days yet but my first book of lyrical writing, made up of poetry and some short prose, selected from an autumn publishing round by YouWriteOn in England, is up on Amazon US & Barnes&Noble,  already. 

You can also find my book on other Amazon sites like Amazon UK, Ireland, Japan, France and Denmark.

Do always type in the title. As it turns out, there are quite a few Susan Abraham's around the place who have already published books. I've arrived late in the day.

Call the Ships of Dar-es-Salaam is still a three-quarters way into the distribution process, before I can possibly view it on the UK bookseller databases.

There is no image available on Amazon as yet. Otherwise, the book is good to hold; it spots very good quality paper, inner typeface and superb binding. Also, the colours are much sharper than what you see here in the scanned copy.

This is very much a spiritual endeavour for me. I was actively writing and publishing work like poetry and plays in my early twenties.  Then I stopped to become a professional writer - first a copywriter and later a magazine journalist, where I truly found my niche. Then I gave up mainstream life to travel and write bread-and-butter copy with which to support myself. I really became quite the adventurer and finally, even took up mountaineering as a serious hobby.

Today, I am a seasoned traveller but not of the holidaymaker norm. Nothing like that.  I have been to obscure regions for several years now. A tourist would beat me hands down.  My style has been to visit old quiet regions and return to them again and again, until I know these foreign places intimately. Now, I have friends everywhere and sometimes make a roundabout turn, just to catch up.

Dar-es-Salaam is an old ancient port that ties in a lot with Zanzibar. This particular book is made up of little bits of poetry and short lyrical prose that I have been composing with such joy, on Malaysia, Ireland and Tanzania.  At least now, I feel I have a record of so many scattered bits of memorable writing, gathered neatly together in one place.

I'm only sorry I haven't started promoting the book  yet. However, I've decided against the grain to rush it as first of all, I consider this a specialised work with its own niche market. I also view my journey with this book, as an  enriching and celebratory one. I wanted to make sure for personal  reasons, that I would have a few commercial professional links to assign this book to. Now, I feel good about it and can go on and make plans for my own style of promotions. I have drawn up a programme for this already, so hopefully no reader will be in the dark too long.

I do find it a blessed relief, that after occupations with professional writing and a lapse of some years, that my creative writing has finally gone on commercial record and so soon after my comeback.  This much to my own surprise.

The same UK publisher is also waiting for another selected title. Now, that is commercial fiction and I'm tying up loose ends, hoping to finish it all before Christmas, so that I can pack my bags and jump on the next plane to Africa. But more on that in the next few days.

Costa Book Awards UK Shortlist 2010

Dear Readers,

Will have a post later on in the day. I'm a bit late with the news but meanwhile, here is the Shortlist for the Costa Book Awards 2010 - a popular literary prize in the UK.  The shortlist link forms part of the fuller website over Here.

Oh...the Wistfulness of a Tender Hospital Romance

Last Saturday, while dashing about with alacrity and all the while, pretending an  unhurried dignity, with which to finish my shopping  and meeting the post at the eleventh hour in Dublin, I couldn't resist popping into the stylish Chapters bookstore on Parnell Street,  to pick up Love on Ward B, (Prion Books Ltd., 2008)  a collection of six hospital nurse picture library romances, I had spied only the week before.  Now, with a startled longing, I once more nurtured a forgotten teenage deviousness in proclaiming the hidden candy floss of a dewy-eyed romance, necessary to curing all of life's ills.

This sunny orange-y collection featuring gossipy nurses, grumpy patients, no-nonsense matrons and Adonis-type doctors, revolves around the brazen adventures of freckle-faced Sally Brown, a  stunning blonde at the General Hospital, who in her spirited role as the humble probationary nurse, patrolled her wards with clockwork instinct together with her colleague Maureen Evans, while hatching a host of  sparkling secret plots to match.

The lively picture stories from Pearsons Library which each sold for a shilling in the early 1960s  - the Hospital Nurse series was first run in 1963 - and were appropriately titled Naughty Nurse, First Love, Man Crazy, Cure for Diane, Live and Love and Blues for a Beat Boy, feature exceptional charcoal-like sketches for each story cover and skilled drawings of endearing old-fashioned winter coats, moonlight serenades, a sports car zooming into the sunset, well-heeled restaurant diners, steamers rolling off into the ocean, frocks, mink coats and the classic lingering kiss. Oh yes... and I did glimpse adorable illustrations, made up of urgent teaspoonfuls of medicine plus hospital beds and trays peppered about the cheerful strips.

Now, I bought this fat jolly read for purely sentimental purposes.  Not that a woman needs to be reminded of that odd enchanting romance, destined to sprout a 1,000 wings for the merry, somersaulting heart, now and again.

My new picture book may as yet promise to act as a salve for the now slightly beleaguered if not older, human spirit. What illuminated childhood memories the rosy stories bring about.

My mother, a teacher at the Convent where I studied in Klang, Malaysia was strict in some ways but strangely liberal in others. In my in-between years from when I was 12+ and had begun to abandon my Enid Blyton collection for those enigmatic Pearl S. Buck novels, I first encountered an unholy interlude where my mother in her sudden phase of nostalgic maudlin frivolity, let me dangerously peruse several stacks of Women Weekly Romance Magazines, each one featuring the formulac 64 pages of passionate prose.

I can still remember with a quiet smile, some of my enduring heroines what with an unsavoury mix of vixens, floozies and dishy heroes thrown into the fray; and all engaged in impressive  syrupy scenes, that I daresay, may have unconsciously shaped my own life at some point, before common sense set in.

My poor schoolfriends on the other hand were banned from reading such books by both parents and the no-nonsense Irish nuns that ran our Convent. These books were easily available as a powerful influence from our nation having survived an earlier British rule. A lot of our literature  featuring magazines, the classics, all manner of fiction and childrens' stories, were imported directly from England. My friends used to tuck their forbidden paperbacks in between the duller pages of textbooks.  They would then read as much as they could during recess. One had always to be careful as prefects would inspect our satchels during intervals and confiscate all the no-nos. School punishments could well include detention, gardening in the hot sun or worse still, cleaning the eerie toilets.

This book reminded me of a post I had written somewhere on the web, a few years earlier. Have managed to trace it. The Junk Bookstore at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee is still a memorable must-see for lovers of antiquarian literature, who find themselves in Kuala Lumpur. It's situated on an ancient street, that long filled up with Chinese traders eg. wholesalers and provision shops. A visitor may find himself dodging gunny sacks and silently bewailing the noisy, rackety buses snailing past.  On the contrary, the bookstore itself is a silent haven while spotting shiny dark glass for newly-renovated doors. The passing pedestrian that may pop up a swaying drunk,  is unable to peer inside.

The Junk Bookstore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pictured here is an illustration from the women's fiction my mother and her friends read in their time , in this case from an old Her World magazine, published in the early '60s.  The short billowy dresses they wore with matching coloured bags and earrings and the fashion magazines they snuggled up to.

Looking back, the days felt transient and more ephemeral. Such is the starry-eyed atmosphere that engulfs the Junk Bookstore, Kuala Lumpur's popular antiquarian bookshop and promotes its reputation as a thrilling, intimate haunt.

It's a captivating little place and may yet prove tighter than a mansion's alcove with its poky corners that hoard literary treasures in the vein of an ancient toyshop clutter.

After all, its matchbox size ensures a silent warning that, you may just stroll in at the risk of of a book-pile precariously perched from somwhere in the forgotten past, collapsing onto the floor in a thunderous heap. And do be careful climbing up the staircase that you don't suffer a thump on the head from a secret sloping wall, bent on mischief.

In spite of the limited space, the shop is famous for its colourful shelves of second-hand books that drag out all the romantic flavour from the world's rich Colonial past. Think of it as an Aladdin's cave with boxes of mixed-up oil lamps, for any literary enthusiast seeking mystery and adventure.

There are hundreds of detective novels - for instance, the startling range of a Perry Como series featuring Film Noir blondes and cigar-smoking thugs, - thrillers, limited local editions of Malaysian/Singaporean women's magazines from the Sixties, romances, comics and all kinds of other amusing paperback fare. Sentiment is heaven so carry more tissues than usual whenever you visit this tiny haven.

The Junk Bookstore, 78, Jalan Tun HS Lee, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 603 238 3822. - susan abraham

Personal Note

Dear Readers,

I will be back with a book post or more news, tomorrow. A terribly bleak winter's day for a Saturday morning I admit, but I shall just have to go out and make things happen today.

I collect no brownie points for still lagging behind on the Christmas cards trail.  I also want to buy a couple of interesting books I spotted at a bookshop, currently awash with its Christmas classic collections and have made a mental note to send on by registered post; a few choice copies of my little book to individuals.  Then I have to firm up plans for my book promotion.  I intend to customise this effort. Hopefully, my title will be up on the UK sites, for display, sooner rather than later. At the moment, one can only twiddle one's thumbs and wait for it to show. My title is already in the distribution process. 

I also have another piece of book news in the offing and will share that, a little later. Still hugging that bit to myself.

As an aside, I shall  call friends in Africa today.  No doubt, they will be ecstatic at the news, that I finally got something published.  They've been bugging me like no one else I know.  Some of my writings are about Dar-es-Salaam.  Even though the contents appear lyrical, the situations I sketch, would  easily prove familiar and endearing,  to those in the know.  After all, when I was in Tanzania in August, the publishing opportunity hadn't yet come my way. I didn't know about the publishing round then or that my title would be selected for publication in  London, just like that.

Things have happened very fast as if my destiny was simply too impatient to have waited any longer. And not that I mind of course. The phrase It's a Wonderful Life now begins to hold serious appeal. I would consider that philosophy, with an improved meditative mind. I am finally in a rather gingerly way, ready to bid adieu to 2010, having nearly slipped out of the year, decked in surprises and smelling of roses and while, still puzzled at my abstract shower of scent.

My good times are a little overdue but thankfully, I am in fine fettle to enjoy them. With some jagged difficult years in the past where I had to battle situations alone, I  became somewhat adept at roughing the risky treks and wading through mudpools, in solitude. Such an apt analogy may well be placed while reflecting on the astonishing wonders of a singular  preseverance.

I think the bottom line for a special wisdom that I have subsequently followed, is that one simply can't slide into a parochial situation and hope for the magic of dreams to unfold, while observing the good tidings of others; those who dared summon the courage to step out of the mainstream. It would be like huddling in a wheelchair and waiting for someone to ferry me, to the finishing line of destiny's post. I could never conform to the timetable of a comfort zone. I am someone who would rather leap off the safe chair when no-one's looking and make a run for it, to the stars.

I may be bringing up my travel plans. My first international destination in 2011 would be to Tanzania and Zanzibar, to see my beloved friends, do a little mountaineering, a couple of game drives and let the good days unfold. I plan to spend quite a bit of time in the Middle East next year, celebrating travel and literature and devoting time to writing my own stories.

 

Perth Writers Festival 2011

The Perth Writers Festival will be held in early March 2011, on the grounds of the University of Western Australia.  With the exception of workshops, almost all of the programme, including the list of writers in attendance, have been confirmed. 

Here is the Website.

I have also added details of the Perth Writers Festival 2011 to  my earlier post on Upcoming Literary Festivals in early 2011.

Early Update on the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (Oct 5-9, 2011)

There was a recent  article in The Japan Times written by Jeff Kingston, who talks about Bali ready to 'beckon the literary tourist.' Naturally, this overtone would bear an almost complete reference to the highly popular annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, founded by the  friendly and vibrant, Janet de Neefe.  The festival programme itself is said to 'offer a culture in paradise.' I met de Neefe once before at the Singapore Writers Festival.

The interested or perhaps I should say bookish reader is advised to block out the upcoming October 5 to 9th dates in 2011, for some 'top-class literary tourism.' Next year's festival theme is called Nanduring karang awak - meaning 'Cultivate the Land Within' and this, taken from an old Balinese poem.  Do read the rest of the engaging article, over Here.

Singaporean novelist Wena Poon's novel Alex y Robert sees a WH Smith Promotion next February

Wonderful news about Singapore born-America based short story writer and novelist, Wena Poon, having her first novel, Alex y Robert, being on the UK's famous bookstore chain, WH Smith's promotional slot this coming February 2011.

To read about a forthcoming Wena Poon book event in Singapore which I blogged about and also where I share quick personal thoughts on her novel Alex y Robert, please click Here.

For more information on Alex y Robert, please click Here.

Note

Dear Readers,

It's Wednesday today. I'll be back later with a bit of book news or reviews. I also have two novels on hand, on which I'm writing literary journeys, for this blog.

I'm quite excited about my own little book of lyrical writing. I was told by the publisher yesterday, that my title, is already in the distribution process in the UK, so just waiting for the commercial links to go up, before I proceed with promotions. I'll be making an author website for it and other things.

I'll also be going to Africa soon. Probably, straight after Christmas.  But I'll still be on this books blog, no matter where I am, except perhaps when I'm mountaineering, or on isolated game drives (safaris).  These have stayed endearing hobbies in recent years.

Film: An Interview with Iranian film-maker, Samira Makmalbaf

by Susan Abraham

Watching the young, award-winning Iranian film-maker, Samira Makmalbaf talk her way rather glibly and with rushing speech through an interview documentary series that depicted the making of At Five in the Afternoon, a poignant and visibly painful drama - the first cinematic drama filmed in Afghanistan after the Taliban Government had been soundly overthrown by the US military; one is compelled to think that Makamalbaf's earnestness may well possess you.

She is zealous in conversation, keen for her listening audience to understand the simplified meaning of otherwise, complicated social statements voiced in her films and sounding slightly impatient with the common questions often asked of Iranian career women and their repressed lot.

As such, she produces highly-animated gestures ... this best expressed by lunging forward with neck straining out of her lithe body as she explains passionately why film-making is so exciting.

The discovery of hope at the end of dark dangerous themes excite her, she says, with a rare glint in her eye.

The director who has made brilliant films espcially the Kurdish speaking Blackboards, featuring its strangely complex theme of teachers wandering like nomads up mountains with long blackboards that shape their shadows with bat-like apparitions; never once smiled in the interview.

Yet it is clear, that she desires to be liked and understood.

Samira Makalmabaf is the daughter (once child actress and now director) of internationally acclaimed film director in the Persian world, Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Mohsen has been married for six years to the graceful, sophisticated and rather quieter version but none less a memorable film-maker herself; Marziyeh Meshkini, famed for The Day I Became A Woman.

In her interview, Samira Makhmalbaf offers a highly astute observation of the Afghanistani woman.

She says that because of severe injustices where women have had to sacrifice their images after being suitably frightened with the chilling prospect that exposing their faces would conduct for a grave sin and readily take them to hell, they would just as well totally sacrifice their confidence in the aftermath, it seems.

She descibes how difficult it was to get actors and actresses from the above-mentioned ill-fated logic alone; even one day before the shooting for At Five in the Afternoon began. None trusted the camera. Since women felt they had no images of themselves, they saw the camera as something alien...an enemy. Makhmalbaf laments on how she had offered cash even to the poorest of families but none would stare into the lens.

They would prefer the safer option of starving to death rather than accepting currency for the cursed unknown. How did she manage to get her actors and actresses after all? "I give them all of me, "she enthuses happily. "I give them my heart, my love...I give them all of me. I am patient. I understand."

This saintly revelation would however, clash severely with an unedited footage enthusiastically shot by Samira's 14-year old sister, Hana who shows Samira off in the worst possible light.

She nags at the actors involved, shows them hurried impatience, shouts in a loud, stricken voice and suddenly appears as one of those voluble tactless personalities who may easily reprimand an actor, quite severely in public drawing a twinge of nervousness among the crew and the fear of humiliation with the actor concerned. The kind of teacher that every student dreads.

She is so totally involved with the screenplay, that no one would dare put a foot out of place.

During the shooting of a particular scene, she laments with highly annoyed agitation at the crew, her hands wringing into the air and clasping down on her forehead with a familiar drama born out of despair. She shouts as loud as she can in a supposed note of confidence to anyone who would listen, about her bunch of Afghanistani actors.

"These people you know. You must address them directly, otherwise they won't bother to look at you." She is clearly scornful of her merry band. Her make-up is thick and stunning in the searing heat. Plus, every exaggerated movement is helped by a buoyant energy.

Reflect now of how the inexperienced Afghanistani people taking part in the film, are talked off as if they are commodities. The way rich Indian families sometimes talk of their servants standing in the same room, but playacting that they could be invisible.

I remember all at once what Samira Makhmalbaf preached in her studied careful interview about giving her actors her heart and her love. And how her voice had dropped to an alluring whisper meant to convey compassion, kindness and gentleness. I smile thinking what controversial public relations an unedited footage can sometimes bring about.

Quick Notes on the Arab Literary World

The National runs a quick, comprehensive guide on each author, currently represented by the  longlist in the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction - an award equivalent in the Arab literary world, to that of the Man Booker Prize in the UK.  The shortlist will be announced in December in Doha while the winner will be present at an award ceremony on the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in March.

To find out more about each author and their titles, you may click  Here.

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On Palestinian Poetry performances at the Southbank Centre, London:

2nd November, Poetry International 2010 by Remi Kanazi

Since I came to life, all I've known is war by Saswan Abu Qare,

The Flow of Poetry by amanashaheen.

Listening to the Written Words by Sawsan Abu Qare

Leaving The Heart Behind by Joan Foo Mahony - New Fiction on Old Malaya

Title: Leaving The Heart Behind  Author: Joan Foo Mahony. ISBN: 9789670138008, Format: Paperback, Released: 1st October 2010, Publisher: JF Publishing Sdn. Bhd.  Price: Ringgit Malaysia RM59.90.

Publisher's Website: * JF Publishing Sdn. Bhd.

(*Detailed information on the novelist, Joan Foo Mahony, may be had on the above-mentioned website.)

 Below are two major Malaysian bookstores, that signal stock availability & shopping cart orders:

Kinokuniya Book Web Kuala Lumpur &

MPH Bookstores (MPH Online.Com)

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I've just discovered a tempting new work of historial fiction laid out in the  English language, on old Malaya, out now in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Nothing's impossible for the enthusiastic world reader, these days, of course. If oceans make for a sore distance, then let your heart cajole you to an online book order instead.  After all, isn't Christmas a time for all fine things...

Now, I didn't work as a copywriter for international ad agency AP Foote Cone & Belding in Kuala Lumpur, before I became a magazine journalist for nothing.

Anyway, I'm excited writing about this novel as it's so up my street.

Penned by Joan Foo Mahony, who published the story, under her own publishing outfit called JF Publishing in Kuala Lumpur (see website above); the book is described as a work of historical fiction spanning from 1936 to 1975 and  stretching out, contrasting episodes of both war and peace. The plot rides on a saga that involves a tale of two dynamic families in two cities; Tokyo and Georgetown, Penang.

Malaysia, then Malaya, was invaded by the Japanese during the Second World War and this novel, capsules that era of a tragic consequence.

As described in an interesting book review, written by Anu Venugopal and published in the Malay Mail (Malaysia's city tabloid), who writes that "... the beautiful and musically talented Komiko Koyama, who together with twin brother Mako is as­signed to Malaya as part of the Japanese army's photographer-spy. Once in Penang, the siblings are introduced to Eurasian beauty Mai De Silva, newspaper owner Harry Lim and cinema magnate Win-Sun Lim, who eventually become entrenched in their lives..." - MM Tues, Nov 9, 2010.

 Venugopal also goes on to praise the easy flow of narration that might have otherwise created for a complicated timeline and highlights, Mahony's inner love for the chosen cities in the book.

I like the idea of characters being involved in creative occupations, that suggest whimsical moods  of light and colour, to what may have just as well been, a staid plot. Congratulations, Joan Foo Mahony! Well Done!

Forthcoming Penang Book Signing:

Joan Foo Mahony will conduct a book signing and meet-and-greet session, for her historical novel, Leaving the Heart Behind between 3pm - 4pm, on Saturday, 27th November, 2010 at the MPH Bookstore in Gurney Plaza, Penang, Malaysia.

Note: Do confirm beforehand to avoid any eventual disappointment, in case of a sudden notice of cancellation or postponment.

A Wena Poon Book Event at Books Actually, Singapore on November 18, 2010

The Singapore born-America based, short story writer and novelist, Wena Poon will perform from her collection of short stories called, The Proper Care of Foxes and published by Ethos Books, at the alluring Books Actually bookshop in Singapore at an exclusive solo event, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on Thursday, November 18th. (Venue: No. 86 Club Street Singapore 069454).

The event will combine an entertaining performance, an author signing and book sales. If you're in Singapore, don't miss out as it doesn't take much to tell a reader today, that Wena Poon is a brilliant writer.

Personal Thoughts:

Initially, I did not care for Poon's early published offering, which proved to be a collection of contemporary Singapore stories, gathered from various literary publications and titled, Lions in Winter. I felt  that with the exception of a few glorious stories ie. one about the elderly Singaporean parent at an ATM teller machine in a foreign country; the book turned up partly, as a learning curve for its author.

Later, with The Proper Care of Foxes, Poon  appeared to find her way and her stories, shone. I absolutely loved her first UK novel, Alex y Robert, which dealt with a series of multiple hesitations and ambitions, provided by  two young and highly-talented Spanish matadors, while in the throes of an electrifying friendship.

The novel, produced by Salt Publishing was  turned by BBC 4 into a 10-episode Radio 4 worldwide series.

Perhaps it was because, one of my own fashion assignments, while working as a full-time magazine journalist, for Female Magazine Singapore/Malaysia, had included trips to Barcelona and later Seville.  These wonderful sojourns were sponsored for me by  Louis Vuitton.  I was taken to visit a bull farm, for a whole day, picnicked and partied with other  international journalists , in a luxurious villa, got to know its owners and watched matadors in training.

Naturally, the scenes which Poon so cleverly sketched out for her ingenious plot, would summon all the right vivid memories, that still commanded the ability to sparkle. 

Now, Poon is  a prolific writer, has written heaps and is talented also in a multi-faceted way. I stay inspired by her creative vibrance. I believe she loves her science fiction. Here are some exciting links you might find helpful.

Wena Poon's Alex y Robert, the novel.

Wena Poon's Lions in Winter.

Wena Poon's Proper Care of Foxes.

An Interview with Wena Poon at the Red Room.

By the way, the stylish featured photograph of Books Actually is from Time Out Singapore. I thought it to be one of the more charming pictures of the modern independent Asian bookstore yet.  Do find out more about the bookshop, by clicking on the above link.

What I Bought Today

My faithful Elif Shafak's Flea Palace, that has of late, followed me about dutifully like a silent shadow, caught more than its fair share of raindrops in the sudden shower at dusk. And oh... is it cold tonight, here in Dublin!

Whereas my beautiful new, heavy hardback, Life Times (Stories 1952-2007) by Nadine Gordimer, very nearly got soaked.

What a joy to have finally picked up the Collected Stories of Nadine Gordimer. I have read a fair few of her writings in my time and it was good to now reacquaint myself with all  of her pensive works; some of the titles being instantly recognisable. 

I will say though that in comparison to Doris Lessing 's novels on South Africa,  - both Gordimer and Lessing have each won the Nobel Prize for Literature - I read far more of Lessing. I felt I identified better with the latter's exquisite descriptions, employed in her  characterisation.  I always found it easy to worship the sheer beauty of Lessing's language. Gordimer's stories are like very old friends... I knew them briefly but while in passing, knew them well and after a long absence; whose friendships I am now eager to renew.

 

Upcoming Literary Festivals in early 2011

Country:                     Sri Lanka

Festival:                      Galle Literary Festival

Dates:                         26-30th January, 2011

Some Authors Include:  Mohsin Hamid (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Orhan Pamuk (Winner Nobel Prize in Literature 2006), Damon Galgut (Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2010), Tishani Doshi (The Pleasure Seekers) & Tash Aw (The Harmony Silk Factory & Map of the Invisible World.)

Spotlight:                                   Focus on Malaysia

Something To Bask In:    Picnics & Tea Parties in Heritage Settings, complete with Music &                                                                     Poetry Readings.

Website:                                       Galle Literary Festival.     

                          

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Country:                                            India, Jaipur, capital city of Rajasthan State

Festival:                                            Jaipur Literature Festival 2011

Dates:                                                 21st to 25th January, 2011

Some Authors Include:              John Coetzee (Winner of Nobel Prize for Literature 2003), Leila Aboulela (Lyrics Alley - a new novel published in the UK December 2010 - Sudanese setting.),  Liaquat Ahamed ( Winner 2010 Pulitzer Prize for History), Manju Kapur (Different Daughters, The Immigrant), Raja Shehadeh (Palestinian Writer/Lawyer - "Palestinian Walk: Notes on a Vanishing Landscape" etc.), Rana Dasgupta (Tokyo Cancelled & Solo) & Martin Amis.

Something to Bask In:    Accompanied by activities that include film, music & theatre

Website:                        Jaipur Literature Festival 2011.

 

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Country:                        Hong Kong

Festival:                         The Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2011

Dates:                             8th to 18th March, 2011

Some Authors Include:   Not Yet Confirmed (Watch out for Updates on  Website)

Something to Bask In:     Programme Not Yet Confirmed (Watch out for Updates                                            On Website)

Website:                           Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2011.

 

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Country:                                           Dubai in the United Arab Emirates

Festival:                                             Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2011

Dates:                                                  Tuesday 8th to Saturday 12th March, 2011

Some Authors Include:      Susan Abulhawa - Palestinian Author in America (Mornings in Jenin), Khaled Al Khamissi (Egyptian writer in Cairo who authored the bestselling Taxi), Nujoom Al Ghanem (Emirati Poet), Margaret Atwood (Legendary Literary Writer),  Haifa Bitar (Syria, Author of 9 novels), Tony Buzan (International Speaker of Motivation), Laila Lalami (Moroccan, authored Secret Son), Abraham Verghese (South Indian Novelist in New York, authored the international bestseller Cutting for Stone) & Simon Armitage (reowned British poet).

Something to Bask In:     A varied series of Creative Workshops

Website:                                        Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2011

 

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Country:                                          Palestine

Festival:                                           Palestine Festival of Literature  2011

Dates:                                                April 2011.  Exact Dates Not Yet Confirmed.

Some Authors Include:              2011 Speakers Not Yet Confirmed. Do check out the Previous                                                               Year's Participants by clicking on this Link.

Something to Bask In.          The PalFest is an exciting and lively cultural roadshow which                                                                      tours to its audiences. Find out more Here.

Website:                                           Palestine Festival of Literature 2011.

 

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Country:                                    Perth, Australia

Festival:                                     Perth Writers Festival 2011

Dates:                                          4th to 7th March, 2011

Some Authors Include:       Tariq Ali (Writer & Filmmaker), Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City series), Tim Flannery (Writer/Scientist/Explorer), Damon Galgut, Joanne Harris (Chocolat), Anjali Joseph (Saraswati Park), Simone Lazaroo - Singapore born, now Australian based novelist (award-winning The World Waiting to be Made) and Andrew O'Hagan - Glasgow born award-winning novelist.

Something to Bask In:  Beautiful grounds on the University of Western Australia as a setting.

                                                       Exciting opening party, Family Day, lots of glorious workshops.

Website:                                     Perth Writers Festival 2011.

 

Credit: Picture of duck in water, courtesy of
ImageAfterCom

Book News: 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlist

Here is  the full longlist for the 2011 International prize for Arabic Fiction:

 

1. The Arch and the Butterfly by Mohammed Achaari (Moroccan)
2. The Dove's Necklace by Raja Alem  (Saudi Arabian)
3. Turmoil in Jeddah Maqbul Moussa Al-Alawi  (Saudi Arabian)
4. An Oriental Dance by Khali Al-Bari   (Egyptian)
5. God's Soldiers by Fawaz Haddad   (Syrian)
6. Secret Rope by Maha Hassan  (Syrian)
7. A Short Life by Renee Hayak   (Lebanese)
8. My Tormentor by  Bensalem Himmich   (Moroccan)
9. The Andalucian House by Waciny Laredj   (Algerian)
10. Women of Wind by  Razan Naim Al-Maghrabi  (Libyan)
11. The Handsome Jew by Ali Al-Muqri  (Yemen)
12. Common Sins by Fatin Al-Murr  (Lebanese)
13. Istasia by Khairy Shalaby  (Egyptian)
14. The Hunter of the Chrysalises (The Head Hunter) by Amir Taj Al-Sir  (Sudanese)
15. Brooklyn Heights by Miral Al-Tahawy   (Egyptian)
16. The Eye of the Sun by Ibtisam Ibrahim Teresa  (Syria)

The longlist includes seven women writers; the highest so far in the Prize's history. The shortlist will be announced on 9th December, 2010 in Doha, Qatar while the awards ceremony for the winner will be held on 14th March, 2011 on the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is funded by the Emirates Foundation for Philantropy and supported, by the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Some excellent detailed updates on the writers and their list of publishing houses, may be found on the following blogs:

The Arabist

The Tanjara

Arablit

Thoughts on Current Reads

 

 

 

 

 

Believe it or not, but it was with a certain amount of delight, that I received a call, a day ago from Waterstone's Booksellers in Dublin. My order for Suad Amiry's newest memoir, Nothing to Lose But Your Life, had been met and that my much longed for book, was now awaiting collection, in the store. 

By the way, if I could just offer a plug for the industrious staff at Waterstone's on Dawson Street, that would be super. I'll say that their customer service is nothing short of superb. Always polished and efficient too and this, coming from me, a frequent book-buyer, who may purchase her desired rare titles, from obscure regions.   Plus, that's putting things mildly.

I adore the writings of Suad Amiry, who is  a Palestinian architect and author, now dedicated to the preservation and refurbishment of Palestine's architectural heritage, while still residing in Ramallah's West Bank.

In SHARON and my Mother-in-Law: Ramallah Diaries,  which won the the prestigious Viareggio Prize in Italy in 2004, was translated into 19 languages  and whose Arabic version, proved a bestseller in France, Amiry offered a ticklish insider's view of the  precarious risks Palestinian residents were often forced to tackle, while occupied with menial everyday occupations.  This, at the helm of bored, grumpy and often, fickle-minded Israeli soldiers.

In this delicious memoir, Amiry showed herself up as an outstanding raconteur, what with her constant ribalds and banter, at the turn of almost every page.

Her sarcastic descriptions of scenes as she painted them  in diaries, notes and letters to close women friends, that in turn, solemnly latched her words to their heavy hearts; were so vivid, I could have well heard her whispering in my ear.

Here, the author sketched the  sort of hidden endearing episodes that television stations and media reports, still manage to miss, I fear.

 Thankfully, Amiry endured her lot, rather gracefully, in spite of various ridiculous upheavals that surrounded her neighbourhood. One of these of all things, lay in a series of hopeless reasonings with a stubborn 92-year old mother-in-law, who had suddenly inherited the late Palestinian leader, Yaseer Arafat as a next door neighbour.  This proved a potential explosive situation as Yaseer Arafat had already been placed under a dangerous seige by Israel.  

Yet to everyone's weary resignation, Suad Amiry's aged mother-in-law  refused to move but instead; proceeded to create numerous  comical inconveniences - the sort that ironically placed the little old lady's life in embarassing unwarranted situations.

Perhaps it was simply, that I had read Suad Amiry at a time, along with several other Arabic writers.  These included some brilliant writers like Yasmina Khadra, Rawi Hage, Sayed Kashua and Taher ben Jelloun, all of which I had selected, either according to an independent bookseller's recommendations or my own intuition. Then, I was tiptoeing into the enormous world of translated Arabic literature.

Today, I still remember the easy exhilaration and doe-eyed wonderment at this splendid new hobby, I had found for myself in middle age. There was no looking back. Discoveries while still swaddled in their infancy, are always akin to the affectionate charms of a first love, I would think. Hence, I would enthusiastically describe my reading life at the time in early 2008, as somewhat magical.

Naturally, I hungered for another Suad Amiry, with a painful longing, that you wouldn't believe. Now, I just can't wait - and God willing that all goes well for me - to meet with Suad Amiry at the Emirates Festival of Literature next March. What a moment that would be for me!

Now, in Nothing To Lose But Your Life, Amiry bravely attempts a man's disguise and follows a young chap Murad, on an 18 hour journey, across the Israeli border with a keen  bunch of lads; all eager for their pot of gold. I, the reader, am warned to expect some  near horrifying encounters,  but all generously mixed with a strong dose of comedy, Suad Amiry style.

The book itself is tastefully produced by Bloomsbury Qatar and was published in April 2010. Can you imagine, that I only knew of it, recently.

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On another note, I am still reading Elif Shafak's The  Flea Palace.  I have been rather slow, with it.  This comes from a preoccupation with several important issues going on. The book is chunky from a heavily descriptive content but what fabulous comedy indeed. 

The plot concerns itself with a group of eccentric families who all, tolerate each other,  in a derelict block of flats, in Istanbul. Each family finds themselves reluctantly bound to a neighbour for better or worse and overall, to the the unwelcome stench of garbage, that line the street.

I had also regaled in my first Elif Shafak.  I feel a little piqued, that I came rather late in the day, to the knowledge of Orhan Pamuk's strongest competitor,  in the field of contemporary Turkish writing.

I first read The Bastard of Istanbul, after coming across a wonderful interview with Shafak in the British papers. How I celebrated that novel too. Generations of women living together in the same house, but from time to time, recalling a painful history, that would draw out secrets and hearty quarrels. Two days ago, I went out and bought another Elif Shafak, a  smaller slimmer book, called The Gaze.

The plot reminds me of an Angela Carter. An overweight woman and her sweetheart, a dwarf, are so tired at being stared at wherever they go, that in desperation and anger, they take to reversing their roles in a bizarre manner. The man starts to don make-up and the woman wears a moustache in public!

I haven't yet read Elif Shafak's newest novel, which is currently out in all the good bookstores, and alluringly labelled The Forty Rules of Love. A close friend, an ardent reader but one not easy to please, has given it a thumbs-up. I've also discovered an older Shafak novel, published in 2005, called The Saint of Incipient Insanities.

Now, you may be wondering why I'm telling you all this. I think the reason has been made clear to me in the subconscious. I remember that while still in my teens and early  20s, that I had  doggedly pursued, hundreds of the classics and also British contemporary novels and biographies that featured my favourite authors. They included Virginia Woolf, Mrs Elizabeth Gaskell, Beatrix Potter (I read 2 in a row) and Sylvia Plath

I was almost devoted to the mission. So deep was my passion for British fiction. Naturally, I was a regular face at the British Council Library in Kuala Lumpur. For instance, I would pick one Iris Murdoch after another, mulling over the titles, like a deck of cards. In the end, I read almost everything she wrote. And that was how it was for the works of Charles Dickens, as well. Or for that matter, Kingsley Amis and his novelist wife at the time, Elizabeth Jane Howard. I read a fair few of each one of their novels; one after the other with clockwork efficiency and no hint of boredom knocking at the door.

Somewhere, along the way I lost this sacred devotion; a tool, I had eagerly acquainted myself with, in which to  better understand my favourite authors and their writings, on a deeply personal level.

Perhaps I became engaged with too many pursuits. Perhaps my thirst for reads sprouted wings in varied directions. There were too many books on the market...there were too many delicious subjects to want to peer into. As an analogy, the web turned what would seem like a shallow lake, into an ocean.  I found that I read books according to plots and authors anywhere at all, that laboured to stem my curiosity, rather than to target  a specific region with ease.

Now, I realise once more, that I yearn to return to my 20s. I've only just felt this way, frankly.  What I want to do, is probably organise a customised system, that closely targets the method on which I approach my reads.  One that combines both region and a hushed personal devotion. I yearn to specialise in the authors whose works I love and to 'taste the clay', if you will, of my especially adored cultures. I need to bask in this narrow but fathomless, introspection.

Thus, I've decided to concentrate on the complete works of favourite authors, that I may know the flourish of their pens in an astounding intimate fashion.

There stay a few cultures I just can't get enough of. This appear to be history - works of fiction and non-fiction - of old Malaya, Borneo and Singapore in the Far East, translated Persian, Kurdish and Arabic literature, translated Turkish literature, African stories and folklore and as always, the British classics and a few favourite English writers, from time to time.

I have recently been more than curious and doubly fascinated by the Inuit - Eskimo - culture and thankfully, I have bookmarked several  Eskimo  tales and folklore online. Who knows where an icy terrain may take me. Seriously, how can I resist the lure  of the unknown and if so, would I want to.

Childlike Bookish Delights with the iPad

On a recent purchase of an Apple iPad  (32GB), quite a few people  on Facebook and Twitter, have been more than curious about my fancy toy.

Now, I had paid 599 euros for mine here in Dublin, but mulled over thoughtfully, for weeks  before I actually walked into a store with the serious intent of buying one.

I am generally wary about recommendations on such personal subjects, especially when any item costs a small fortune, eg. hardbacks and film- collection titles and of course, the varied cutting-edge digital gadgets; that presently abound in the marketplace. One man's meat is another man's poison, hums the classic rejoinder. Call me old-fashioned, but I still stay terribly partial to that sobering idiom.

Initally, I was astonished and fascinated by turns.

On a Malaysian sojourn back in August while enroute to  East Africa, I had stopped at Silverfish Books, to say hello to its  popular proprietor, bookseller and publisher, Raman. Silverfish Books is one of Kuala Lumpur's most exciting independent bookshops today, specialising in serious Asian studies, featuring vast works of fiction and non-fiction. Of course,  you can read all about it here, via a swift click on  the link.

The industrious and in this case highly-enthused Raman, had just  purchased  an iPad  abroad and he couldn't stop waxing lyrical about it. My first introduction, was to behold the astounding Alice for the iPad application. Oh what enchantment met my eyes! 

A seemingly old-fashioned bedtime storybook with  fat print and  fading, yellow pages, one that may have been all the rage in Enid Blyton's time, - why, I could almost catch that glorious smell of musty pages -  displayed a series of  colourful characters and other animated objects, ready for a ball.

As I glanced tenderly through the tale, figurative drawings as endearing as anything you might imagine,  dangled about in mid-air, swung about sideways or toppled to the bottom of the screen. The vibrant palette colours, provided a celebratory mood, signalling jubilation. If this were a circus and I, the ringmaster, than my imagination would stay sorely tickled and my spirit, properly enraptured.

I've just remembered that I own a different series of Alice in Wonderland books. For the life  of me, I can't imagine how I collected them all. In fact, one is truly antiquarian and the lot deserve a picture story of their own.

Still, I could not escape the product's alluring charm.  Raman was convinced that gadgets like the iPad, definitely signalled a rosy future in books.  By the time, I returned to Dublin in mid-September, the iPad was all the rage.

After ferrying it about for a month now, I'll say that I have absolutely no regrets:

Here are some reasons why:

a) I can still recall a favourite assortment of memorable animal, duckling and fairy stories that graced dozens of collected picture books from childhood and steered me on a lifelong passion of books.  No one ever had to tell me or remind me to read.

Still, quaint as they may have been, I would seldom mind you, venture into the children's department of any bookstore. Not unless I was buying a gift.

Now, here I was, imagine that, downloading several picture books with spectacular visuals all at once, each designed to captivate the imagination in an extraordinary way. What secret joy I had become engaged in. How many times did I enjoy a muffled chuckle, or stay awed by the story of The Three Pigs, Snow White, Read-along-Books, Toy Story, Arabian comics etc. I would watch them, again and again, reliving my own childhood featuring remembrances of traditional storybooks, with sheer bliss. Along the beautiful hours, swirled the rushed memories, resurrected from the mind's attic.

Now, if scores  of vibrant children's books could have such a spectacular effect on me, imagine what it would do to a child. In this respect, I'm going to be brave and recommend the iPad for any parent, who seriously wishes to engage their toddler or little ones, seeking  a  warm-hearted friendly approach to the digital world.  I think it essential  to hold a mix of books, where one variety, compliments the other, so as  to bring out the best in a child's world. Truly, with the iPad, the imagination has found new skies to soar into.  The effect may not be magical as such but certainly one of an enthralling beguilement.

b) At the moment, I have thousands of classics in my iPad. You can choose some beautiful applications for free or simply pay for others. These big books beckon  with  their graceful and stylish layouts, while armed with a fastidious measure of temptation.

Words of a difficult story for instance, now swear camaraderie. They leap out of the page and come alive for the reader.  With just a tap, the entire contents of a thick book is instantly downloaded - 2 to 3 seconds - and stored away up on a pretty visual shelf.   Attractive bookmarks linger also to automatically mark a half-read page. With a swift swipe of the screen, pages pronounced slightly curled at the edges, are twirled backwards or forwards, or may pause  halfway as a  playful tease, manouvered by a reader in a moment of mischief.

You could select from a superb graphic, featuring an opened book design or  simply scroll down as you complete page after page. I have a choice of background colours and I adore the dramatic black.

c) Of course, you could download any number of popular e-books that currently serve as traditional bestsellers as well. I also found myself downloading iPhone applications. Some may not have been created for the added use of the iPad, but they work just as well. The structure to a story may be narrower and the size somewhat smaller, resting in the middle of the screen, rather than encompassing it. 

Still, I experienced no difficulty reading anything or admiring the layout. Some of my favourite Agatha Christie mysteries, now await a series of quiet nightime overhaul flights in the near future.  Flights may become the more pleasurable. That's a fair statement for a consistent traveller like myself. The transit hours would easily pass once I became engrossed with my iPad.

 d) You could well use the iPad as a lifestyle organiser. There are applications to run your whole life, whether it's leisure or business.

e) For me, the iPad goes on also to serve a highly-personal purpose. Next year, I want to expand my travels to the older regions in the Middle-East and to study Malaysia's ancient history, while it was still under the rule of British explorers and named, Malaya.

My ideal timetable, is to divide my time between Ireland, Africa, Malaysia and while in Arabic regions, to explore  seascapes, landscapes and to write my stories. I love translated Arabic literature, its films, music and dance with a fervent passion.

The trouble is, there doesn't seem to be all that many television documentaries that serve this purpose and I am often disappointed.

One of the reasons is that I stay in an apartment block that aligns itself only to a particular European cable television provider. Of course, this is also connected to the telephone and the wireless internet. I just don't feel that BBC4, BBC World News or even CNN tackle enough drama-documentaries. I am greedy and eager for more.

And guess what! I now have an application for the Al-Jazeera live television channel and this stays nothing short of a miraculous Christmas gift. It feels heaven-sent. The telly screen on my iPad offers large, slick and sharp displays.

And so too the YouTube that allows for outstanding documentaries, music performances, literary readings, author talks and book trailers.  I no longer read newspapers.  My laptop is set to The Daily Telegraph UK, as the homepage while I'm most likely to keep abreast with the BBC news, if busy, on the tablet.

Of course, there are several other  default features to the iPad: A few examples are Notes,Contacts, iTunes, the Application Store, Photos, Mail, a Calendar and Safari, the exclusive web provider.

I can type pretty fast now, on the shiny but unwieldy keyboard; although I still prefer my  hardy laptop or Notebook for emails.

e) I am also someone who loves analytical and serious debates on international current affairs and social issues and there are many applications in this category as well.

So as you can see, I have absoloutely no regrets at all, but also am more aware than  ever on the personalised personality that signifies a gadget's possibilities.

I still love my library, currently chockablock with  precarious stacks of novels, essays, poetry, history and biographies. 

But I'm thinking also that the price of an iPad is ironically trivial when one counts the number of classics and stories, already available to me, on my downloads. I'm not sure of other countries but here in Ireland and also the UK, books can be expensive.  And even if one purchased a third of the classics, that I may presently read at a moment's notice, they would far outdo, the price of my revolutionary gadget. Plus, all it takes are  a couple of taps, to summon a tale.

I have a feeling that the grand dame of experimental literature herself,  the novelist, Angela Carter, would have been easily thrilled at it all.

 

Credits: i) Picture of Alice in Wonderland application on this post is from the highly-creative Culture Label Blog.

ii) The second picture of a shelf of books on iPad is from Giga.com.

Short Note

Am a little under the weather today. Not that you can blame me, what with the bleak and rainy start to a wintry weekend. Enjoyed the shops downtown. Finally, bought some Christmas books.  Will tell you about them really soon. For now, just want to curl up under a warm quilt with a good novel,  read my new writing magazines and watch a film or two. Catch you tomorrow.

One Night by Niki Karimi

by Susan Abraham

One of the main hallmarks of Iranian cinema, is the row of noted pregnant silences, that puncture important episodes and how such an extraordinary tool, courtesy of the film-maker, masquerades intrigue by stringing the viewer along the reins of a script and all the while, parading mystery and allure.

There is hardly if ever, any sort of a thematic musical overture - so reminiscent of popular American and European films that would be relied on to conjure the mood and tone of a film or otherwise, signalled out to dog a heightened dramatic pace.

Instead, the viewer of serious Iranian dramas bent on conveying important social messages, may be treated to illuminating shades of transparent colour and light within vast background landscapes or steady quiet character movements and various subdued expressions that prophetically conjure up the next scene to hint at an actor's possible thoughts and actions.

It is almost the watchful conjecture in mime as the reader fields through the silent scenes to predict what happens next.

In fact, the silence is so monumental you could hear a pin drop when you think that something as trivial as footfalls along a hushed hallway could kill the moment.

Without doubt, in such films, actions are meticulously designed to speak louder than words. It was with such expectation that I watched Yek Shab meaning One Night (2005) so thoughtfully and lovingly made by Niki Karimi , an award-winning Iranian actress who has herself starred in more than 20 films before turning to directing for the display of a rightful, elegant passion. One Night which received its desired international applause in Rome, would place Karimi at the forefront of important Middle-Eastern women in cinema.

The film starred the remarkable and highly-talented Hanieh Tavassoli as its main heroine, Shahzad.

In the screenplay, Tavassoli acts out the role of a melancholic misunderstood artist who has to deal with a single mother bent on sly motives with her wiles on the seduction of a married man, a boyfriend who doesn't care enough to be around when she needs him and the fortitude to question injustices of a woman's foreberance subtly portrayed throughout the scenes. This she does with a rather brave if not foolish attempt to wander a main street in Tehran at night.

She walks alone, trying without success to hail a taxi. With her mother shooing her out of the way for the night Shahzad decides to go to her boyfriend. The mother is never seen and only her voice is heard. She is loving but insensitive to her daughter's tired day at college.

Shahzad grumbles with exceptional fury.

Still, she does as her mother wishes and when she arrives at the cafe run by her boyfriend's father, her sweetheart is nowhere to be found. There are some late night diners but Shahzad is reluctant to dine even as the boy's parent invites her to do so. He tries to ring his son but to no avail.

Shahzad later makes her escape when a noisy scene outside the restaurant ensures that everyone runs out to delightfully view the kerfuffle.

Before arriving at the cafe, Shahzad had with some reluctance, accepted a lift from a persistent middle-aged married man who vows concern for her safety but who reveals a playboy personality and makes a pass even as he kindly drops her where she wants to go. In his mind, Shahzad could just be a lady of the night. He insists on waiting for Shahzad as she steps into the cafe, hoping for a one-night stand before returning to his wife.

She has to enlist the help of a friend to ward him off.

This is rather brave of the character to have accepted the lift in the first place, considering that there are police everywhere and women in Tehran are not allowed to be seen with a man alone unless he turns out to be a spouse or family.

But she will attempt two more lifts by two different men on the quiet streets of Tehran, stopping once to desperately call her boyfriend from a public phone. He doesn't answer. She will sit and lament her fate with the sad broken heart of every wounded woman, on a deserted park bench, surrounded and shadowed by a canopy of trees. In her turmoil, she will also walk a highway. On the whole, the artist will have her fair share of adventure and episodes.

The film was especially riveting and convincing as the viewer is compelled to feel protective of the lone artist and chilled to the bone as the character thoughtlessly places herself in the face of danger.

Taviassoli is wonderful with her ironic comic scenes and taut, acerbic advice that shows the artist through her difficult lifestyle, to act in a manner far older than her years and mature in her thoughts with psychological insights if not fruitless actions.

She pronounces the modest ability to counsel older men far more privileged than her. She doesn't say much but her looks and gestures speak a thousand words.

The film is somewhat atmospheric and successfully conveys the idea of aloneness and the subject of loneliness masked in various disguises.

However, towards the end, the pregnant pauses created to reveal horrifying declarations by one of the characters, were simply too long and it is feared that this eager experiment by Karimi, may have weakened what might have otherwise proved an enthralling Hitchcock thriller-type conclusion.

In Cathleen Roundtree's interesting interview with Niki Karimi on One Night, Karimi had labelled this screenplay a 'personal cinema.'

“The film is about things that are happening in society to women my age.," she had said. "I felt that there were few films about the experiences of women. I call this ‘personal cinema,’ not cinema from the commercial film industry. I wanted to show a woman trying to earn money, be on her own, and how many problems can surround her. I wanted to show the distance that she has from society. Because of that, she’s living out of the city. And each day she travels on the road and looks at the city and asks herself, ‘What is this place I’m going to?’”

These were some of the enlightening quotes amongst others. Thank you Cathleen for the tremendous insight.

Credit: Top picture of Niki Karimi (b/w) is from Niki Karimi Photos. Below is of Iranian actress Hanieh Tavassoli.