Reel Festivals is a remarkable organisation that promotes events and programs of literature in areas of conflict to celebrate diversity, build solidarity and create dialogue with audiences internationally. They organise these events to explore alternative stories through direct interaction and shared experiences and last month, I had the extraordinary privilege to be a beneficiary of this work, as part of the Reel Iraq project in Erbil, Kurdistan. I was among four British poets who worked together with a group of contemporary Iraqi and Kurdish poets on translations and collaborations before reading at the Niniti Literature Festival, thanks to the British Council.

Next month, thanks to Reel Arts, leading Syrian artists will tour Britain throughout June to launch Syria Speaks, an anthology of art and culture from the Syrian frontline. The line-up will include award-winning Damascus-based novelist Khaled Khalifa, video artist Khalil Younes, writer and film maker Zaher Omareen, and authors Malu Halasa and Robin Yassin-Kassab. The tour begins with an event at the Rich Mix Arts Centre on June 11^th, in the main space, from 7.30pm. http://www.richmix.org.uk/whats-on/event/syria-speaks-art-and-culture-from-the-frontline/

The book and tour, organised by Reel Festivals, aims to demonstrate how Syria’s artists are leading the country’s resistance against tyranny. Syria Speaks is the first book to provide a window on Syrian creativity since the uprising, showcasing the work of over 50 artists and writers.http://www.saqibooks.co.uk/2014/04/syrian-writers-artists-tour/

In the interim, while in Iraq I had the chance to write some blogs about the trip, which can be found here: http://blutkitt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/reel-iraq-kurdistan-diary-1.html

http://blutkitt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/reel-iraq-kurdistan-diary-2.html

http://blutkitt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/reel-iraq-kurdistan-diary-3.html

http://blutkitt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/reel-iraq-kurdistan-diary-day-4.html

http://blutkitt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/reel-iraq-kurdistan-diary-5.html

http://blutkitt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/reel-iraq-kurdistan-diary-6.html

http://blutkitt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/reel-iraq-kurdistan-diary-7.html

& a suite of poems I wrote for the project have been published online by Reel Arts here http://www.reelfestivals.org/the-arbil-suite-a-history-of-erbil/ “The Arbil Suite is a poetic history of a city that rightfully claims itself to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth…”

& here are videos from the Niniti Literature festival:
Ryan Van Winkle & Dan Gorman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SrNw5Q3WKI

Kei Miller & Ahmad Abdel Hussein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15yI3trw7ks

Zhawen Shally & myself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn-ibXKPJk0

& there’s photos online here & here, as well as a great interview with Nia Davies who also attended, and more blogs from Ryan Van Winkle and others on the Reel Festivals site.

Please attend the event on June 11^th if you’re free, and follow and support the remarkable work of this extraordinary organisation. http://www.reelfestivals.org/