Tomorrow - on the second anniversary of young Kuwait writer Saud Alsanousi's winning the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) (also known as the Arabic Booker) for his novel The Bamboo Stalk, - Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP) publishes Jonathan Wright's English translation of the book.
To mark the publication of the translation, Banipal Magazine of Modern Arab Literature and Waterstones Piccadilly - the flagship store of the Waterstones chain, and the largest bookstore in Europe - have jointly organised a launch at 6.30pm on Wednesday 29 April,
The venue is:
4th floor,
Waterstone's Piccadilly,
203/206 Piccadilly,
London W1J 9HD
Saud Alsanousi (courtesy BQFP)
The event is free, but those wishing to attend should reserve a seat by emailing piccadilly@waterstones.com.
At the launch Alsanousi will be in conversation with Dima Choukr, editor of Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's cultural supplement. Broadcaster Paul Blezard will introduce and read selections from the novel. There will also be a book-signing and a reception. Copies of the novel will be on sale. Jonathan Wright, winner of the 2013 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, will be a special guest at the event which is supported by BQFP and IPAF.
Daring and bold, The Bamboo Stalk confronts universal problems of identity, ethnicity and religion through its protagonist Kuwaiti-Filipino José, born to a Filipino mother and a Kuwaiti father whom he never met. In his late teens he travels from the Philippines to Kuwait and tries to get to know his Kuwaiti family.