For the visitors to the Frankfurt Book Fair, there will be several opportunities to visit events organized by Shahrazad - stories for life. Among these, on Wednesday October 14, comes "Unpleasant Truths: Dressing up reality - media policy and counter-information". Many attempts are made worldwide to influence the view of events, to manipulate the media, to falsify or suppress news. Iran is just one example. Journalism and foreign cultural policy operate within this conflictive arena - what scope for action do they still have? How can counterbalance be achieved and to what ends? With: Amir Hassan Cheheltan (author, Iran/currently Berlin), Mahmud Doulatabadi (author, Iran), Christiane Hoffmann (FAZ, Frankfurt am Main), Jamsheed Faroughi (Deutsche Welle, Cologne). The event is chaired by Ulrich Grothus (DAAD, Bonn).
Late on the same day, at 12.15, the event "Freedom of Speech - Freedom of the Word - Freedom to Publish" deals with the situation for freedom of expression in China. More than a few people and organisations take a critical view of the way in which China - Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2009 - deals with freedom of speech, freedom of the word and freedom to publish. What can be done to influence this unsatisfactory situation? With: Dirk Sager (PEN Germany), Zhou Qing (author, China), Kaiser Abdulrusul ÖzHun (author, International PEN Uyghur Center, China/currently Sweden), Bjorn Smith-Simonsen (publisher, Norway). The event is chaired by Regine Möbius (Commissioner for Art and Culture and deputy president of the VS, Leipzig).
On Thursday October 15 at 11.30, the Director of ICORN, Helge Lunde, is on the panel for a debate concerning issues of writers working in countries other than their own.
Writers may be at home in their own language, but they are also curious
about the rest of the world. Many look for bursaries in other
countries, others seek refuge away from home to be able to write
freely. What are the experiences, potentials and problems for
organisations looking after authors from abroad? Also on the panel are Christa Schuenke (PEN), Sigrun
Reckhaus (Heinrich Böll Foundation), Katharina Narbutovic (DAAD
Artists-in-Berlin Programme). The event is chaired by Ruthard Stäblein (journalist,
Frankfurt am Main).
Finally, on Saturday October 17, at 13.30, Georgian poet Irakli Kakabadze performs and discusses how his situation as an exiled writer living in the USA has influenced his approach to his literary work and his appearances in public? How much does the factor of language matter in all this?
The venue for all these events is the Exhibition site, 5.0 D901, International Centre.
