Special Sessions

 

AN ENCOUNTER WITH MAHSHID AMIRSHAHI

Mahshid Amirshahi reads from her writing. The reading will be preceded by brief comments by Shadab Vajdi-Khonji. The session will conclude with a discussion involving the audience.

3 August 16.30-18.00
Khalili Lecture Theatre

 

INSIDE OUT - IRANIAN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE IN DIASPORA AND TRANSLATION

The session will start with a reception, followed by readings from Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Woman of the Iranian Diaspora and Strange Times in Persia: An Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature. The session will conclude with a discussion involving the audience. Dominic Parviz Brookshaw will chair, and the editors of the two publications (Persis Karim, Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak and Nahid Mozaffari) will lead the discussion. Mimi Khalvati, Sholeh Wolpe, Parinaz Eleish, Zarreh and Roxane Varzi who have contributed to the first publication will be present. Also present will be Goli Taraghi and Farkhondeh Aghai for readings from the second publication.

3 August, 18.00-20.00
Khalili Lecture Theatre

 

SIMIN BEHBEHANI: LIFE AND POETRY

Simin Behbehani reads from her poetry. The reading will be preceded by brief comments by Houra Yavari entitled Form and Content in Behbehani's Poetry: a Socio-literary Perspectiveand Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak entitled Jan-e del-ara-ye ghazal. The session will conclude with a discussion involving the audience.

3 August 20.00-22.00
Khalili Lecture Theatre

 

SHIRIN NESHAT AND TARIQ ALI 'IN-CONVERSATION'

The programme will start with the UK premier screening of Shirin Neshat's Zarin. Filmed in Morocco, the film is based on a character from Shahrnoush Parsipour's novel Women Without Men. This film chronicles the emotional and psychological breakdown of a young woman, Zarin, who has been working as a prostitute in a brothel ever since childhood in Iran. UsingZarin as a starting point, Shirin Neshat and Tariq Ali will discuss Shirin Neshat's work and the way she portrays the role of women and other gender related matters in Islamic and Iranian society, in her art. The session will conclude with a discussion involving the audience.

4 August, 18.00-20.00
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre

 

IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAMME - PEACEFUL OR PERILOUS?

The deadline announced by Iran to respond to the offer of the P5+1 (22 August) is fast approaching. With diplomatic negotiations stretching out over the summer, the heat is intensifying in the clash over Iran's nuclear programme. Many questions still remain: Is Iran's civilian nuclear activities a cover for weapons development? What role can the EU play in negotiating a settlement between the old adversaries, Iran and the United States? If engagement fails will sanctions or even military action be instigated? Is Iran now a regional hegemon, and its new President a threat to regional peace? Is the debate over the nuclear file obscuring other issues, such as the government's abuse of human rights? This panel and discussion session will seek to address some of these and other moot points. Panellists: Rouzbeh Pirouz, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair); Mehdi Askarieh, Nirex; Phyllis Starkey MP, Iran All Party Parliamentary Group; Roger Hardy, BBC Middle East Analyst; Mark Fitzpatrick, IISS

Organised by
Alex Bigham and Rawan Maayeh on behalf of the Foreign Policy Center

5 August, 16.30-18.30
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre