A few years back, I attended the “Borders, Walls and Security Conference,” an international gathering hosted by the Center for Geopolitical Studies of the Raoul Dandurand Chair at the University of Quebec at Montreal. Much of what I learned at that conference informed my book, and I enjoyed spending a couple days among wall-thinkers from […]
Walls on Facebook
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
Apparently, contemporary authors are supposed to operate Facebook pages for their books. I am not sure to what end, but who am I to argue? So, for updates on reviews and author appearances, as well as links to other news about the walls around the world, go here.
September
07
“Turn off the heat, and pay no heed to the rockets.”
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
It is the last day of my short residency at the Banff Centre. I’ve been working on my project about Palestinians and their relationship to the written word. My trouble has been finding some sort of overarching theme, or themes, to link together the different stories I’ve found. I am getting closer. Regardless, my time […]
Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
“In one sense, the efficacy of poetry is nil – no lyric has ever stopped a tank. In other sense, it is unlimited. It is like the writing in the sand, in the face of which accuser and accused are left speechless and renewed. Poetry does not say, ‘Now a solution will take place.’ It […]
August
20
Darwish’s Wall
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary Palestinian literature lately and came across this short piece by beloved Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. This is from his book, A River Dies of Thirst: Diaries, published in 2009 by Saqi Books (and translated by Catherine Cobham). I only wish I discovered this as I was writing Walls. The […]
August
11
Palestine’s Stolen Books
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
As some of you may know, I am working on a new project about the Palestinian relationship to books and literature. When I was in Jerusalem last year, the owner of Educational Bookshop told me about a documentary titled The Great Book Robbery. The film, directed by Benny Brunner, tells the story of how Israeli authorities […]
Walls released, and reviewed, in the UK
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
I am thrilled to announce that Walls: Travels Along the Barricades is now available on the other side of the Atlantic. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Union Books did a fabulous job with the cover design. This is the first time I’ve been published outside of Canada, and I am very excited. Coinciding […]
June
29
Our Greatest Moment
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
This week, The Globe and Mail asked me to contribute an essay to a package of writing about the recent flooding in Calgary called “After the Flood.” When I saw the paper this morning, I was very happy to see my piece alongside stories by Samantha Warwick, Andrew Nikiforuk, and Kris Demeanor – all […]
June
19
I Know What I Am Doing This Summer
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
Hello all. Here are a few updates on Walls, and other upcoming projects. Last week, Walls: Travels Along the Barricades was awarded The City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. The prize was given out at the annual Calgary Awards which honours citizens who contribute to making Calgary a better city. The award winners […]
In lieu of an acceptance speech
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
Last weekend, I double-dipped into the Alberta Literary Awards prize pool. Walls: Travels Along the Barricades was awarded the Wilfred Eggleston Award for Nonfiction, and “A Hymn in Aramaic” – a story I wrote for Alberta Views Magazine – took home the James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction. The gala stuck to its new […]
Elsewhere 