pbby newsletter 2010

IBBY- Palestine: Newsletter 2010

• Hosting Palestinian Writers and Experts

PBBY tries to hold at least one meeting per month which normally includes: discussion of various matters relating to children’s literature, a get together with a local or foreign writer, a presentation or discussion of a book and the discussion of a draft story of a Palestinian writer. Lately four draft stories on peace were discussed.

PBBY concentrated recently on the subjects that introduce us to the Palestinian literature in all inside and outside Palestine. Some of these meetings included the Palestinian writer Salman Natour to speak on “Palestinian Literature inside the Green Line”. We also hosted the photographer Rich Wiles of the Refugee Center Lajee at Aida Camp in Bethlehem who introduced us to the valuable activities and publications of their Center.

PBBY hosted the writer Salman Natour, who lectured on" the making of the hero in the Zionist children’s literature” On the same subject, we hosted story teller Denise As’ad to speak on “Racism in the Israeli Children’s Literature”.

• promote intercultural exchange and international solidarity

PBBY tries to implement activities which promote intercultural exchange and international solidarity.

American writer Elsa Marston

PBBY was happy to have the American writer Elsa Marston visit Palestine for the second time in November 2010 as a guest of Tamer Institute. PBBY organized a meeting where Elsa gave a lecture on "Five Outstanding American Writers and how they Deal with Tough Subjects: War, Poverty, Discrimination…” The authors discussed were Walter Dean Myers, Margaret Peterson Haddix; Sherman Alexie, Karen Hesse, Laurie Halse Anderson.

The Swedish writer ULf Stark was invited by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. PBBY organized a joint meeting with the Ministry and al Qattan foundation in which Ulf Stark gave a very interesting talk about his books mainly the book “Can You Whistle, Joanna?”

IBBY/PBBY Children in Crisis-Gaza

• IBBY/PBBY Children in Crisis project which started in 2007 in partnership of two community based organization is ongoing. Bibliotherapy Psycho-social activities and encouraging reading and creativity. The two libraries have attracted tens of children and got the support of the local community as a result of its impact in supporting literacy, and its therapeutic effect on the traumatized children.

Gardens of Hope

• The great news is that the book on Gaza, Gardens of Hope written by Palestinian children and youth came to life as a result of a fantastic cooperation with the newly established UAE-IBBY and Kalimat Publishing House in al-Sharjah. The nice thing is that the illustrations were solely by children from the Emirates. The promotion advertisement for the book said: "Children of Palestine write about pain and the children of Emirates colour hope". The book, which is in Arabic and English, was distributed freely at the Sharjah and Beirut Book Fairs The beautiful book cover was illustrated and donated by the Tunisian artist Ra’ouf al- Qurai.

“Kalimat” prepared a very interesting radio add about the book (below)

• Participation of Board Members in IBBY’s 32nd Congress in Spain

PBBY participated in IBBY’s 32nd Congress was held in the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Dr. Sharif Kanaana, who was supposed to present a paper on “Writing Stories for Refugees” apologized for personal reasons. Jehan acted as moderator of a workshop on the subject of Linguistic and Cultural Minorities in which the Palestinian writer, Rafia Yahia participated with a paper on “”Palestinian Children’s Literature in Israel: an Anxious Voice of a Minority”.

Furthermore, Jehan was elected for the second time in a row a Member of IBBY’s International Executive Committee which is formed of ten members.

§ Various News

v IBBY - Mongolia requested the translation of some children stories to the Mongolian language; the writer Mahmoud Shukair sent short stories that were translated and distributed to schools in Mongolia.

v Bookbird Magazine published an article by Jehan Helou on “Children of Palestine Tell their Stories”. http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=1027

v Palestine Section published IBBY’s poster on International Day for Children’s Books (ICBD) for the year 2009 and also published the accompanying text in a booklet which also introduced the PBBY, in both Arabic and English languages.

• Honoring Creativity and launching the Book “Gardens of Hope”

PBBY held an exhibition in Al-Bireh Municipality Hall in March 2010 for illustrations and writings of children from the libraries of the “Children in Crisis – Gaza” to accompany the ceremony to honor of the persons nominated to IBBY’s Honors List for the text, illustrations and translation; a video on the activities of IBBY was also played.

The ceremony included: A word introducing IBBY and the activities of the Section; Launching the book of Gardens of Hope; Introducing the book If I Were a Bird (law Kunt Taera; Readings in Arabic and English from “Gardens of Hope”; Honoring the winners on the honors list for the years 2008 and 2010; Presenting and distributing of the poster “I am the World and the World Is Me” and a booklet of PBBY

PBBY at NABOOK-010

• PBBY was honored to be part of the creative NABOOK-010 the Peace Festival/ Peace Story. PBBY President Jehan Helou was member of the International Planning Committee which is formed of 36 members The Peace Festival was in the beautiful Nami Island where there many workshops were implemented by the participants. The organizers posted each story and its illustration on a large billboard. Mohammed Amous our illustrator for the Palestinian Story attended the festival and gave a painting workshop for Korean children. Dima Sehwail our writer of the beautiful story When the Golden Fish Stopped Dancing apologized, as she was expecting the birth of her first baby. It is important to mention here that in 2007 Jehan and Olivia Qandah (PBBY Administrative Committee) participated in Nami Island book Fair and Library in Nature Seminar http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20101008000847

Translated by Amal H.Karam