BOOK LAUNCH & TALK: BEYOND THE WALL BY BIDISHA

Organisation: The Mosaic Rooms

Time: 16 May 2012 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Place: The Mosaic Rooms, 226 Cromwell Road, London SW5 0SW

The Mosaic Rooms Presents:

BIDISHA: BEYOND THE WALL

Writing a Path Through Palestine

The Mosaic Rooms welcomes Bidisha to celebrate the publication of her fourth book, Beyond the Wall: Writing a Path Through Palestine.

The book will be launched with a panel discussion entitled 'Writing A Path Through International Affairs'.

This discussion will focus on the challenges, rewards and responsibilities of international journalism: how to avoid sensationalism, describe complex social and political events to lay readers, reflect on long consequences as well as dramatic incidents and give a voice to ordinary people who bear the brunt of international events but are often unheard. The panel will also examine the role of the writer: maintaining partiality, getting an authentic and fair view of foreign affairs, reporting without patronage or ignorance.

Bidisha will be joined by three eminent writers:
Anna Blundy, commentator, former Times Moscow correspondent and author of a series of bestselling novels about war correspondent Faith Zanetti, inspired by Marie Colvin. The novels are currently being adapted for Hollywood.

Rachel Shabi, international journalist, author and Middle East expert, shortlisted for the 2011 Orwell Prize for political journalism, winner of the 2011 Anna Lindh journalism prize and nominee for the Next Century Foundation’s cutting edge media award.

Rosie Garthwaite, journalist and author who began her reporting career straight out of university and the army in Basra, Iraq. Her book How to Avoid Being Killed in a Warzone is a survivors’ guide to staying alive in combat territory, inspired by her own and other war reporters’ experiences.

Bidisha is a writer, critic and BBC broadcaster who contributes to magazines, newspapers and radio and TV programmes internationally. Focusing on the arts and culture, international affairs and human rights advocacy, she is the author of two novels, Seahorses and Too Fast To Live, and the bestselling memoir Venetian Masters. She has judged the Time Out Write Up Your Street prize, the Orange Prize, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, the Polari prize and the Bristol Shortstoryville prize. She is currently doing outreach work in migrants’ and refugee centres around London.

16 May 2012 | 19:00 - 21:00
The Mosaic Rooms, 226 Cromwell Road, London SW5 0SW
Free but RSVP required

Email rsvp@mosaicrooms.org / Tel 020 7370 9990