On May 4^th 2010, the University hosted the 2010 Palestine Festival of Literature (PalFest) Workshop, organized under the auspices of the President, Prof. Rami Hamdallah and Prof. Maher Abu Eid, Vice President for Academic Affairs. The workshop was held at the Martyr Zafer Al-Masri Auditorium on the Old Campus, in coordination with the Public Relations Department. It aimed primarily to reinforce and encourage cultural interaction and contact between Palestine and other countries around the globe. A delegation that consisted of a number of Palestinian and international authors and writers participated in the event.

Prior to the workshop, Prof. Hamdallah received the delegation in his office where he welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of literature as a tool to let the world know about the Palestinian cause. He also presented the University's achievements and described the University’s different facilities and academic programs.

The delegation included Ms. Ahdaf Soueif, a renowned Egyptian novelist and political and cultural commentator, Dr. Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian writer and author, Mr. Remi Kanazi, a Palestinian-American poet and writer, Dr. Sonia Nimr, an internationally renowned author of books for children and young people, Dr. Suad Amiry, a Palestinian writer and architect, Dr. Ritu Menon, an Indian author of books on women's studies and co-founder of Kali for Women, Dr. Suheir Hammad, a Palestinian-American poet and Ms. Victoria Brittain, a British journalist and a former Associate Foreign Editor of ‘The Guardian’ newspaper.

Dr. Khalil Odeh, Dean of the Faculty of Arts as well as a number of professors and instructors from the English and Arabic Departments attended the event, including Dr. Odeh Oded, Head of the English Department, Dr. Nabil Alawi, Dr. Ayman Nazzal, Dr. Iman Hammad, Dr. Abdulkarim Daraghmeh and Dr. Adel Osta. Mr. Ala Abu Dheer, Acting Director of the Public Relations Department at the University also participated in the workshop, which attracted a large number of students from both departments.

The workshop was divided into a plenary session and five discussions in which the participants discussed several issues and ideas related to literature. The guests also presented their own work and books to the audience. In the first session, Prof. Abu Eid delivered a speech on behalf of the University President in which he warmly welcomed the guests and the audience. He spoke about the importance of literature and the exchange of culture between different nations: "Through literature people are able to access other people's cultures and traditions". He called upon Arab thinkers and scholars to support Arabic culture, especially Palestinian culture. He highlighted the important role literature plays in preserving the identity of the Palestinians and the history of their country, preventing others from eliminating or suppressing the culture.

Dr. Ritu Menon, the co-founder of Kali for Women, (one of India's oldest feminist press) and Founder-Director of Women Unlimited that published many studies on women, delivered a speech in which she expressed her pleasure at being in Palestine and being invited to participate in the workshop and to have the chance to speak and discuss issues with Palestinian authors and professors. She also spoke about her books, particularly: ‘Borders & Boundaries: Women in India's Partition’ in which she explained the difficulties that her family experienced during the partition of India in 1948. Her book particularly discussed the difficulties faced by women at that time.


This was followed by Ms. Ahdaf Soueif who delivered a speech in which she talked about her different books and novels, including ‘In the Eye of the Sun’ and the ‘Map of Love’ which was shortlisted for the 1999 Man Booker Prize and was translated into more than 21 languages. She also spoke about the difficulties and challenges that people in Palestine encounter as a result of the Israeli Occupation, especially women, who make a significant contribution to the Palestinian community. She described their struggle and steadfastness in defending the Palestinian cause and particularly mentioned Dr. Suad Amiry as an example of a woman who exerts a substantial effort to support Palestine and raise awareness of the effects of the Occupation.

Dr. Suad Amiry then spoke about some of her works, especially her book 'Sharon and My Mother-in-Law', which was translated into 11 languages and was awarded the 2004 Viareggio Prize. Dr. Amiry is a renowned Palestinian writer and architect and the Director of the Riwaq Center for Architectural Conservation.

Mr. Remi Kanazi presented a poem about the struggle of the Palestinian people and their right for a normal, dignified life, free from Occupation. He also mentioned that his poems are inspired by injustice, the fight for freedom, and the struggle of the oppressed to gain independence. His poems are a response to the many misconceptions that the west holds about Arabs in general and the Palestinians in particular.

Other participants further discussed several topics including, Literature and Resistance by Ms. Ahdaf Soueif and Susan Abulhawa, Literature and Creative, Critical thinking by Sonia Nimr, The Autobiographical Impulse in Literature by Dr. Amiry and Hisham Matar, Literature and Cross-cultural Communication by Suheir Hammad and Ritu Menon as well as Literature and the Media by Dr. Eman Hammad and Ms. Victoria Brittain.