In advance of my presentation at UQAM’s Borders, Walls and Security Conference this week, I had the chance to speak to Wojtek Gwiazda f Radio Canada International. We talked about barricades around the world, the creation of the Other, and a little about what it means to live alongside a wall. You can find the […]
October
02
“On Fences and Neighbours”
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
Here is a short excerpt from an essay called “Fences and Neighbours” by Cornell scholar Christine Leuenberger. The essay comes from an accordian-style ‘coffee table book’ called Keep Your Eye on the Wall: Palestinian Landscapes (edited by Olivia Snaije and Mitchell Albert and published by Saqi Books). I’ve included a photo of the book above. […]
October
01
Walls in Eden Mills and Kingston
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
Walls is over a year old now, and its promotional window (in Canada, at least) has long passed. Therefore, I was very grateful to be invited to a couple of excellent writers’ festivals last month. At the charming Eden Mills Festival, I read alongside two food writers, Sarah Elton and Rose Murray. I also ate […]
October
01
Closing the ‘Walls Conference’ in Montreal
posted by Marcello Di Cintio
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 […]
