July 17, 2015 23 Culture

Tunis women’s slam poetry café

Roua Khlifi

Tunis

he cultural café was packed with people chat- ting and awaiting the first reading. Some sat on the floor while others stood Tat the door. Liber’thé was crowded with fans of slam poetry. Silence gripped the room as one of the or- ganisers of the event, Sabrine Ghan- noudi, stepped to the microphone to welcome the participants and the audience. “It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the second edi- tion of the Queen of Words, where all the participants and all the texts are written by women from different parts of ,” Ghannoudi said. “Some came from other towns, not just from Tunis, like Mahdia and we even received a request from a Palestinian who found us on Facebook and requested to have her message read wishing that one day all women in the Arab world have such an event.” The event’s title said it all. It is a monthly gathering to give women a chance to share their poetry and feelings with others. It was inspired by initiatives that had encouraged slam poetry in Tunisia but soon died out. “We thought about having one for women only since they do not have space in other initiatives. A lot of men write poetry of this form but often use vulgar language. I wanted Poetic free flow to have something for only women where they can speak freely,” Ghan- the place where we hold our meet- would like to focus on taboo sub- to a large public. I only read to my strangers who might agree or disa- noudi said. “Along with other or- ings are men, and they supported jects and expand to interior re- close friends. When I found out gree with what I say.” ganisers, we set on the mission of the initiative right from the begin- gions,” Ghannoudi said. about [this] I decided to try that ex- Salma, a student, has been to both promoting the event and selecting ning,” Ghannoudi explained. She added: “We would love to perience of sharing emotions with Queen of Words performances in Tu- texts that are relevant in terms of The event, however, focuses on have women come and open up to a larger number of people than my nis. “This event is very interesting,” form and topics.” women and their writing as a means us about their daughters, their is- friends,” Labidi said. she said. “I have enjoyed the mood Although the event welcomes of expression and assertion of their sues, about rape, early marriage, “It was important to me to meet of freedom and expression that it participation only from women, it presence in Tunisian society. discrimination and the issues of people with whom I share the same provides. Now that we have free- does not exclude men, who will al- “It is meant for women to feel women farmers.” experience This would really help dom of expression in the country, ways be part of the event in some comfortable. After all we are in an On this day, Shayma Labidi was many women to cope with society what else is better than expressing way, Ghannoudi said. society, and we are miss- reading at the Queen of Words for but, personally, I don’t really think it in art? ’’ “We are not excluding men be- ing so much, and we need to prove the second time. Nervous at first, about society since I am still unable Ghannoudi echoes those cause the event relies on the help of that writing for women is a way of Labidi won applause. to share with my mother my erotic thoughts: “We hope this continues men. Men help with the organisa- expression and evolution through “I have participated in this event texts or even texts with erotic al- and women feel more at ease to ex- tion, with the promotion and cover- which they can talk about taboo for the simple reason that I like writ- lusions. For me, it is about sharing press themselves on different topics age of the event. Even the owners of subjects. On the long term, we ing but I have never read my texts what I usually keep to myself with in front of a large audience.” Syrian author Samar Yazbek cries for her beloved country

Karen Dabrowska journey to sets the tone: will be able to rebuild Syria the way “The barbed wire lacerated my we dreamt. London back. I was trembling uncontrolla- “The dream is very difficult to bly. Under the wire fence marking achieve now because we are still in n my mind, I hold a portrait the line of the [Turkish] border, a hell. We can’t do anything before of Syria but it is no ordinary tiny burrow had been dug out just the Assad regime falls and ISIS is “ image. It shows a dismem- big enough for one person. My feet stopped. But it is very important for bered collection of body sank into the soil and the barbs us, as Syrian intellectuals and activ- parts, the head missing mauled my back as I crawled [into ists, to build a democratic and civil andI the right arm dangling precari- Syria] across the line of separation society movement either in exile or ously… between the two countries.” around the Syrian border.” “Then you notice a few drops Yazbek’s base for her clandestine of blood slowly dripping from the visits was the village of Saraqib in Yazbek decided to frame, then disappearing as they north-western Syria. are absorbed by the dusty soil be- Describing the life of a family return Syria and low. This is the calamity that Syr- whose home was on a front line and made three ians live with every day. This centu- in direct view of a sniper, she said: clandestine trips in ry will not witness a greater tragedy “The day I visited her, as we nerv- 2012 and 2013 than Syria.” ously dashed about, the mother These are some of the reflections told me that when she moved be- made by self-exiled Syrian journal- tween rooms and needed to cross Yazbek used the money from ist Samar Yazbek about her clan- the yard outside, she sometimes the Pen Pinter Prize ($1,540) she destine trips to her homeland that stood still for a moment, watching won in 2012 for her courage to help she documented in a recently pub- the sniper. She would pretend not set up learning centres for women lished book, The Crossing: My Jour- Samar Yazbek: “I have hope that we the Syrian people will be able to notice him, then run on to get a and young people. The centres are ney to the Shattered Heart of Syria. to rebuild Syria the way we dreamt.” glass of water to drink, or get the equipped with a library and cinema Yazbek was a presenter on Syrian children’s dinner or go to the toilet.” and offer English and French les- television and a celebrated novelist The 45-year-old author said she sons and IT instruction. There are when she fell out with the Syrian and women as well as fighters who casting a lot of lies.” is convinced that the Syria of her seven of them in Syria and two in regime, leaving her no choice but to tell Yazbek their stories, pouring She said misinformation about childhood and youth is gone for- Syrian refugee camps in . flee in 2011 after taking part in anti- out their grief with dignity and developments in Syria started from ever. “Syria will never be the same “I am a permanent volunteer,” government protests. showing an indomitable spirit to the beginning of the conflict with again,” she writes in the epilogue. she jokes, brushing aside her long From her exile in Paris, Yazbek overcome the horrors of war and regime claims that the Syrian oppo- “It has been hung, drawn and quar- blond hair as she prepares to an- decided to return Syria and made rebuild their country. sition was made up only of jihadists tered.” swer another question from the three clandestine trips in 2012 and “This book wasn’t planned at all,” and Islamic State (ISIS) fighters. When asked about Syria’s future audience. The Crossing: My Journey 2013. Yazbek said at London’s Frontline “This unfortunately changed into and the rebuilding of the country, to the Shattered Heart of Syria, Pen- The Crossing is more than a Club during a symposium on her reality thanks to the international Yazbek said: “Syria is not Syria any- guin Random House, 2015, $30. memoir recounting Yazbek’s expe- work. “The project was to publish community’s silence,” she said. more. It is divided into provinces. riences during the trips. It is pow- some articles about what was really “Writing this book was like mag- What I witnessed is that Syria is Karen Dabrowski is a erful testimony to the tragedy of happening inside Syria, especially ic: It just happened.” completely destroyed.” London-based contributor to the Syria’s sectarian war. that … [Syrian President Bashar] The opening paragraph in which However, she added: “Yet, I have Culture and Society section of The The book is about ordinary men Assad regime’s media was broad- Yazbek describes her first return hope that we, the Syrian people, Arab Weekly.