We don’t come from nothing – 28/03/2024
An online event organised by gentle/radical. A conversation with Ahmad Nabil – artist, writer and founder of Jerusalem-based Fiction Council – about his work in preserving non-material Palestinian heritage in the face of relentless erasure and destruction of Palestinian life. Drawing on Ahmad’s intimate knowledge of Palestinian folktales, legends and mythologies, this in-conversation with Sabrin Hasbun will explore the role of memory, imagination and persistence, in context of a Palestinian archive subjected to invisibilisation for over 75 years. Find more information and book your tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/gentleradical/1175218
Creative Arts Research Network – 25/03/2024
Creative writing as decolonisation: an initial conversation based on a case study on Palestine. This is an online event hosted by Newcastle University’s Creative Arts Research Network (CARN). You can join though this link: https://newcastleuniversity.zoom.us/j/83899884679 Sabrin will explain how creative writing offers an alternative framework when trying to work with personal and collective history in Palestine. For more information check out CARN’s post here: https://twitter.com/CreativeArtsRN/status/1768338568064213169
Caerphilly mother’s day vigil – 10/03/2024
On mother’s day, March 10th 2024, a vigil was held to remember the mothers of Gaza. Several speakers touched on the suffering of mothers in Gaza and generally on Palestine. Peredur Owen Griffiths spoke on the actions of the Senned. Sabrin spoke about her own mother and her experience in Palestine.
International Woman’s day – 09/03/2024
The Riverfront theater and arts centre hosted an event for international woman’s day. Sabrin was part of a pannel discussing what women are doing and can do more of to support Palestine and Gaza right now. The Riverfront theater posted about it on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4LEN2Is5a_/
Music and Poetry at the Scala – 02/03/2024
A night full of music and poetry organised by Abergavenny PSC (Palestine Solidarity Campaign) at the the Scala to raise money for Palestine and show that those who support justice are not alone. Sabrin read a piece about what peotry has meant to her in these months as a Palestinian together with some of her recent poetry. There were also wondeful performances from James Kennedy, Jules Gardner, Tom Crow and the Ghostriders, and Patrick Jones.
Valentines for Palestine – 14/02/2024
On Wednesday 14 February 2024, seventeen UK independent bookshops held events to raise money for the PEN Emergency Fund which will be ringfenced to provide support to writers at risk who are in and from Palestine. For every £1000 we raise, the PEN Emergency Fund will support one emergency grant to a Palestinian writer at risk. Across the UK, indie bookstores will hold their own special events, including readings, with door prizes donated by publisher partners. All proceeds will go through a central page donating to English PEN (a registered UK charity), who will transfer all funds raised to the PEN Emergency Fund, based in Amsterdam. As part of the Bristol Valentines for Palestine fundraiser event, Bookhaus Bristol hosted Sabrin Hasbun, Mira Mattar, Travis Alabanza and Zakiya McKenzie for a night of artistic solidarity and resistance in support of Palestine. The four participating artists delivered a selection of readings from published and upcoming poetry and prose work. For tickets and more information click here: https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bookhaus/wed-14-feb-valentines-for-palestine-103254#e103254.
Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize Shortlisting – 11/02/2024
An event at the Southbank Centre to celebrate the shortlisted writers of the Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize. The shortlisted writers are Sabrin Hasbun, Dariia Lysiuk and Roxana Shirazi, Steve Tasane and Simon Weisz. The writers reflect on themes of displacement, identity and resistance both in the selected works and more broadly. The £15,000 prize was set up to showcase and celebrate exceptional non-fiction writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds, and to shine a new light on some of the most pertinent topics shaping our lives and society. This event brings together the shortlisted authors ahead of the announcement of the winner and two runners-up in March, who are being selected by a judging panel comprising Elif Shafak, Philippe Sands and Dina Nayeri. Presented in association with Footnote press and Counterpoints Arts. More information found here: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/literature-poetry/footnote-x-counterpoints-writing-prize-readings
Creative writing for decolonisation – 05 to 09/02/2024
Sabrin, together with Dr. Zosia Crosse, delivered a series of workshops for PhD students at the University of Naples “L’Orientale”. The workshops taught the theories and concepts that explain how academic writing perpetuates colonising narratives, and introduced the PhD candidates to free writing as a way to explore and be aware of those dynamics and our own biases.
Solidarity day with Palestine – 27/01/2024
Khalas!Digon!Enough! An event organised by Gentle/Radical to bring together the community to raise awareness and funds for Gaza. Sabrin hosted a teach in/ Q&A where she answered questions from the public and reccommended readings.
Ecology & Culture in Palestine – 24/01/2024
Sabrin was a panelist at this online event hosted by Bath Spa University. An event focusing on the ecological past, present and future of Palestine-Israel. The panel brought together perspectives from art, literature, history, geography and heritage in order to reflect on the environmental dimensions of Zionism and the Palestinian struggle. More information here: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/ecology-and-culture-in-palestineisrael/