We are bastard children of hyphens and supplements and sentences that start with Originally I′m from… (Jehan Bseiso)
What is it like to write with a Palestinian or Israeli identity? In what way can literature offer alternative perspectives and views on a reality, and what are the expectations towards the writer in this regard?
The Israeli author Nir Baram has long been interested in the relationship between the individual and society, and of ethical limits in his writing. His book The World Is a Rumour is now published in Norwegian translation, a book that among other things deals with the Israeli left and the peace process, exploring kindness in the face of evil or indifference. The novel was published in Israel in 2013, and immediately became a bestseller.
The poet Jehan Bseiso is one of six million Palestinians living in the diaspora. She writes in English, interspersed with Arabic. Thematically, she brings conflict, news stories and activism into her poetry. How should one understand a Palestinian identity and sense of belonging? What can be said to be “home” for someone who has never lived in what is supposed to be a home country?
Writer and literary critic Ane Nydal has frequently written about the political and the literary of the country. Now, she talks with Baram and Bseiso about finding a language to the stories about Jerusalem.
English With Nir Baram and Jehan Bseiso Wergeland Litteraturhuset Saladindagene 2017