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Call
The international literature festival berlin [ilb] is calling on individuals, schools, universities, cultural institutions and media to participate in a worldwide reading of Persian literature texts, classical and modern, in support of the Iranian uprising on December 10, Human Rights Day.
The goal of the reading is to send a signal to the brutal Iranian regime to end the violence and express solidarity with Iranian women who have been victims of discrimination and misogyny in recent decades. The Iranian women are harbingers of hope, hope not only for the Iranian people but for all of us who want an end to a more livable future for all beings on this planet.
The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman in Iranian police custody at September 16 2022, has sparked a widespread protest movement that has rocked the country for weeks. The Iranian government has responded to these protests with violence and bloodshed.
To express our support for the Iranian people on the path to democracy and freedom, and to urge the Iranian government to listen to the powerful voice of Iranian men and women who want to change the form of government and end the violence against them, we invite you to this reading. For the reading, we recommend poems by Forough Farrokhzad and short stories by Shahrnush Parsipur.
The readings can take place anywhere, including privately in a small circle, in a school, in a cultural institution or on the radio. Individuals and institutions who would like to participate with a reading on December 10, 2022 are asked to send us the following information: Organizer, location, time, participating actors, event language, link to your website if applicable. The email address is: worldwidereading@literaturfestival.com. We ask the organizers to clarify the rights for readings themselves – the ilb can help with this. We ask the organizers to clarify the rights for readings themselves – the ilb can help with this.
Signed by
Gabriela Adameșteanu, Romania
Ghayath Almadhoun, Syria/ Sweden
Margaret Atwood, Canada
Ricardo Azevedo, Brazil
Sarnath Banerjee, India
Charles Bernstein, USA
Anneke Brassinga, Netherlands
Carmen Boullosa, Mexico
Brian Castro, Australia
Germain Droogenbroodt, Belgium/ Spain
Amir Hassan Cheheltan, Iran
Jennifer Clement, USA/ Mexico
Michael Day, USA/ Netherlands
Antonio Della Rocca, Italy
Radka Denemarková, Czech Republic
Junot Díaz, Dominican Republic/ USA
Ariel Dorfman, Chile
György Dragomán, Romania/ Hungary
Stella Gaitano, Sudan/ Germany
Andreas Heinz, Germany
Josef Haslinger, Austria/ Germany
Ala Hlehel, Palestine
Nazanine Hozar, Canada
Ranjit Hoskoté, India
Iman Humaydan, Lebanon/ France
Aireen Jaman, Bangladesh
Raj Kamal Jha, India
Sepideh Jodeyri, Iran/ USA
Navid Kermani, Germany
Jemma King, UK
Alexandra Kleeman, USA
Lola Koundakjian, Lebanon/ Armenia/ USA
Christoph Leisten, Germany
Liao Yiwu, China/ Germany
Silviu Lupescu, Romania
John Mateer, South Africa/ Australia
Winfried Menninghaus, Germany
Amanda Michalopoulou, Greece
Hala Mohammad, Syria/ France
Mehdi Mozaffari, Iran/ Danmark
Widad Nabi, Syria/ Germany
Ramita Navai, Iran/ UK
Claudia Piñeiro, Argentina
Simone Pika, Germany
Patricio Pron, Argentina
Ahmed Rashid, Pakistan
Daniel Rothenbühler, Switzerland
Uli Rothfuss, Germany
Andreas Rumler, Germany
Kholod Saghir, Sweden
Kurt Scharf, Germany
Jenny Schon, Czech Republic / Germany
Eduardo Sguiglia, Argentina
Nicholas Shakespeare, UK
Tajima Shinji, Japan
Nasrin Siege, Iran/ Germany
Ostap Slyvynsky, Ukraine
Alawiya Sobh, Lebanon
Carlo Spiller, Switzerland
Biyú Suárez, Bolivia
Stephan Thome, Germany
Fariba Vafi, Iran/ Germany
Adriaan van Dis, Netherlands
Haris Vlavianos, Greece
Catherine Vuylsteke, Belgium
Monika Zgustova, Czech Republic / Spain
Yang Lian, China/ UK
Oksana Sabuschko, Ukraine
Zhang Yu, China/ Germany
International Literature Festival Dublin
Slovenian PEN
Participants
Austria
Organization: Büchereien der Stadt Wien
Erisa Mirkazemi (Farsi) and Parya Bakhshandeh (German) read:
poems by Forough Farrokhzad (»Neun Gärten der Liebe. Zeitgenössische persische Liebesgedichte.« Übersetzt von Mehrzad Hamzelo, nachgedichtet von Rudolf Kraus, mit einem Nachwort von Siba Shakib; 2011. Mödling: EDITION RÖSNER)
»Arasch – Der Bogenschütze« (Kasraie, Siavash; übersetzt von Anahita Shoaiyan. Ill. von Mercede Ameri; 2013. Wien: aainfohaus)
Location: Instagram and YouTube
Time: available from 2 pm
Language: Farsi and German
Bangladesh
Organization: PEN International Bangladesh
Location: R H Home Centre, 74/B/1, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Time: 6 pm (Bangladesh Time)
Language: Bangla
Canada
Organization: Goethe Institut Toronto
Location: 100 University Ave, North Tower, 2nd Floor, M5J 1V6 Toronto
Time: 9 December, 12 am–1 pm
Language: English, German, Farsi, Turkish
Further information
Organization: Mahi Sia Working Group
Bring a Text and a Dish
Location: Daniels Faculty of Architecture, University of Toronto. 1 Spadina Cres, Toronto, ON M5S 2J5
Time: 4–6 pm
Further information
Germany
Organization: GRIPS Theater
Documentation
Organization: Chiara Liso, Omid Mashhadi, Hannah Schünemann, Pauline Westerbarkey
Location: Friedrich-Schlegel Graduiertenschule für literaturwissenschaftliche Studien (FSGS) der FU Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, JK 29/121
Time: 3–5 pm
Language: German and Farsi
Further information
Organization: Maike Stein, Lisa Kuppler, Lisa-Marie Dickreiter
read from Asal Dardan: »Betrachtungen einer Barbarin« and »Mein Prinz und der Teufel«
Location: Höhengasthaus Nillhöfe, Fischerbach
Time: 7 pm
Language: German
Organization: TIO e.V. – Projekt Girls´Studio
Young female migrants from all over the world read from the graphic novel »Persepolis« by Marjane Satrapi
Participating actors: internal event with TIO-Girls´-Studio-Kurs 15
Location: Project space TIO-Girls´Studios, Reuterstr. 78, 12053 Berlin
Time: 12 pm – 2 pm
Sprache: German
Organization: Emder für Nachhaltigkeit
Location: Emden, Ringstrasse 37
Time: 5 pm
Language: German
Organization: Evangelische Kirche Essen Überruhr, Buchhandlung Schirrmeister, Stadtteilbibliothek Kray/ Freisenbruch
Location: Stephanuskirche, Langenberger Str. 434, 45277 Essen
Time: 7 pm
Language: German
Further information
Organization: Ortsverband der Bündnis 90 Die Grünen
participating actors: Fadime Tuncer, Nicole Scherzer, Margrit Liedloff
Location: Perseria, Iranian restaurant in 69198 Schriesheim, Landstraße 80
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Language: German
Organization: @the_biondah, @hyperolmolok, @4felixkotaro, Sina
Reading and discussion of texts by Iranian women, moderation: Anna Kücking
Location: Buchhändlerkeller
Time: 8 pm
Language: English
Further information
Organization: Margrit Starick
Participating actors: Ehsan, Gerd Gerlach, Lothar Priewe, Margrit Starick
Location: 17268 Gerswalde/Uckermark, Dorfmitte 11, Kulturscheune im Großen Garten
Time: 7 pm
Language: Farsi, Deutsch
Organization: Praxis für ganzheitliche Psychotherapie
Location: Praxis für ganzheitliche Psychotherapie, 56626 Andernach
Time: 7 pm
Language: German and Persian
Organization: Stadtbibliothek Wismar
Location: Online
Time: available on December 10
Language: German and Farsi
Organization: Institut für Iranistik der Freien Universität Berlin
Location: Fabeckstraße 23-25, 14195 Berlin, Raum -1.2009
Time: 6 pm
Language: Persian and German
Further information
Organization: Johanna Hühn, Lilith Tiefenbacher
Participating actors: Johanna Hühn, Lilith Tiefenbacher, Patrick Klösel, Patty Nash, Matthias Weinzierl
Location: Café MadaMe, Mehringplatz 10, 10969 Berlin
Time: 2–3.30 pm
Language: German
Organization: Jutta Wagner (LiZ Literarisches Zentrum am DAI Heidelberg), Veronika Haas (Literaturherbst Heidelberg), „Be Our Voice Iran Rhein-Neckar“ and 11 authors of the UNESCO City of Literature Heidelberg
Location: DAI Heidelberg, Sofienstraße 12, 69115 Heidelberg
Time: 4 pm
Language: German, Farsi, English
Further information
Organization: Mäx+Moritz die Familienbuchhandlung
Tanja Eger and Katrin Zipse read: »Etwas Schwarzes« (Picture book by Reza Dalvand) and an excerpt from »33 Bogen und ein Teehaus« by Mehrnousch Zaeri-Esfahani
Location: Buchhandlung Mäx+Moritz, Sophienstr. 9, 76530 Baden-Baden
Time: 9 pm
Language: German
Organization: HKS, Leuphana Universität and #DIGIARTHE
Location: Zoom
Time: 12:30–2:15 pm
Language: German
Organization: DeutschesSchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Location: SchauSpielHaus
Time: 8 pm
Language: German, Persian
Further information
Organization: MENA-Referat der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V.
read »Schreiben als Entschleierung: der literarische Widerstand iranischer Frauen« by Ava Homa from the anthology »In der Zukunft schwelgen«
Location: YouTube and Social Media
Time: available by December 10
Language: German
Organization: Trabanten Verlag Berlin
Location: Instagram-Live-Video (Account: revolutionslyrik)
Time: 11 am
Language: German
Organization: Theater Konstanz
Location: Foyer Spiegelhalle, Hafenstraße 10, 78462 Konstanz
Time: 5 pm
Language: German
Further information
Organization: PalaisPopulaire
Daniel Boente reads from Forugh Farrochsād: »Jene Tage. Gedichte«
Location: Rotunde im PalaisPopulaire, Unter den Linden 5, 10117 Berlin
Time: 4 pm (10 minutes) and 4:30 pm (10 minutes)
Language: German
Further information
Organization: Prof. Dr. Sabine Schülting and M.A. Students from the English Department at Freie Universität Berlin
Location: room KL 29/137, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin
Time: 9 December 2022, 12–2 pm
Language: Persian, English and German
Organization: sprechbar in berlin in cooperation with Business Professional Women Club Berlin
Iranian fairy tales, excerpt from »Iran – die Freiheit ist weiblich« by Golineh Atai and a poem by Hafis in Farsi
Location: sprechbar in berlin, Grolmanstr. 21, 10623 Berlin
Time: 5 pm
Language: German, Persian
Further information
Switzerland
Organization: mille et deux feuilles, Buchhandlung zum Mittelmeer und mehr
Location: Buchhandlung mille et deux feuilles, Glasmalergasse 6, 8004 Zürich
Time: 5–6 pm
Language: German, English, Farsi
Further information
USA
Organization: Ashes Literary and Arts Collective (poupeh missaghi and Mollie Hosmer-Dillard), Counterpath Press
Location: Counterpath Community Space
Time: 6:30 pm
Language: Farsi, English and others
Further information
Organization: Professor Waqas Khwaja
Participating actors: Dan Veach, Emily Lake Hansen, Rupert Fike, Mahnaz Badihian, Waqas Khwaja
Location: Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030, USA (and Zoom)
Time: 11 am EST (USA)
Language: English and Persian