New review: Speed Sisters
Electronic Intifada, 23rd March 2016 Marah, with whom Betty maintains a sometimes bitter rivalry, comes from Jenin refugee camp but, contrary to the camp’s conservative image, is backed by her … Continue reading
“For 9 months she fought in the Turkish army, up Beersheba way”
Came across this magificent snippet in an edited volume of the letters of Helen Bentwich, from her time in Palestine at the end of World War One and during the … Continue reading
Leila Khaled biog: Arabic edition
Yesterday I got sent a cover scan of the Arabic edition of my biography of Leila Khaled. It’s published by Al Muassasah Al Arabiya lil Dirasat wal Nashr in Beirut, … Continue reading
Poetry from Iraq and Scotland
Sabreen Kadhim, a young poet from Baghdad who very much dispels any myths linking poetry with dowdiness and cardigans, was supposed to appear at Reel Iraq earlier this year. However, … Continue reading
‘Head over Heels in Saudi Arabia’ at Edinburgh Fringe
Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia is a one-woman show by Maisah Sobahi, in her day-job a lecturer at a university in Jeddah and now the first ever Saudi performer … Continue reading
The Sea (the film, that is…)
Went to see The Sea this evening, screening as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It turned out to be the World Premiere of the movie, which meant a … Continue reading
Rant warning: on capitalism, the Western media and different types of explosions
It is a commonplace which has, in a few days, spread from the leftist Twittersphere to the liberal media (hell, even Owen Jones is doing articles on it now) to … Continue reading
He, she and it
When I was writing my biography of Leila Khaled for Pluto Press, my fabulous editor, David Castle, pointed something very valuable out to me. This is the fact that writers … Continue reading
Elizabeth Jennings/The Unknown Child
This poem is an old favourite, one I have kept coming back to over the years, both for its meaning and its wonderfully calm and un-ostentatious mastery of language. The … Continue reading
Academic privilege
From Wedded to the Land: Gender, Boundaries and Nationalism in Crisis, by Mary Layoun (Duke University Press, 2001), page 7, talking about the author’s relationships with Greek and Lebanese refugee … Continue reading
International Women’s Day
Here, to celebrate International Women’s Day, is a PFLP poster from around 1984 depicting women fighters from the Palestinian and international resistance to imperialism. According to the Palestine Poster Project, … Continue reading
New article: ‘Poets of Protest’ reviewed
Electronic Intifada, 28th February 2013 “All revolutions begin as poetry. Poetry and protest are inseparable twins,” says Yehia Jaber. He should know. A former fighter whose memories include patrolling the … Continue reading
Exciting things to go and see at the Whitworth
There are two fascinating/lovely exhibitions (see applicability below!) on at the Whitworth Art Gallery at the moment. Both are on until January 27th, so plenty of time to go and … Continue reading
I'll be post-feminist in post-patriarchy
This, sadly, is a real 13th birthday card, sold under the Arnold Barton brand which appears to be part of Hallmark. As the Pinkstinks campaign, who took this picture, put … Continue reading
Religion or patriarchy? Iran and higher education
Western fear of Iran is largely framed in terms of religious extremism: as this interesting report from MERIP suggests, maybe some of the regime’s policies are more about undisguised patriarchy … Continue reading
New article: Adania Shibli's 'We Are All Equally Far From Love' reviewed
Electronic Intifada, 3rd October 2012 What makes this near-continuous litany of depression and melancholy bearable and sharpens its impact, are the occasional flashes of beauty which punctuate the grimness. One … Continue reading
Sarah Irving 