Shafa Amr Cultural Club Discusses Palestinian Author's Novel 'Destinies'
Translated & summarized from Alarab by baba
The Shafa Amr Cultural Club met on October 20 to discuss Rubai Al-Madhoun's novel "Destinies: Concerto of the Holocaust and the Nakba." The event, sponsored by the Horizon Foundation, featured discussions on the author's background, the novel's structure, and its themes of identity, exile, and the Palestinian experience. Attendees raised questions about historical narratives and the author's literary choices.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Shafa Amr Cultural Club discussed Rubai Al-Madhoun's novel "Destinies: Concerto of the Holocaust and the Nakba" on October 20.
- The novel explores Palestinian identity, displacement, exile, and the relationship between homeland and diaspora.
- Author Rubai Al-Madhoun is the first Palestinian to win the Booker Prize in 2016.
- Discussion participants raised questions about historical narratives and literary aspects of the novel.
- The event was sponsored by the Horizon Foundation for Culture and Arts.
The Shafa Amr Cultural Club held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 20, to discuss the novel "Destinies: Concerto of the Holocaust and the Nakba" by Palestinian author Rubai Al-Madhoun. The event, sponsored by the Horizon Foundation for Culture and Arts, took place at the Horizon Theater hall and was attended by club members.
Ziad Shleiyout, a member of the club's administration, opened the evening by welcoming attendees and recounting the administration's recent visits to local middle and high schools to encourage reading and cultural participation among students and teachers.
Dr. Mohammed Safouri facilitated the discussion, providing a brief biography of Al-Madhoun, who was born in Ashkelon and became the first Palestinian to win the Booker Prize in 2016, establishing himself as a prominent contemporary Palestinian writer. Professor Youssef Subh presented an overview of the novel's structure, which is divided into four movements with multiple voices, detailing the roles of characters and the precise descriptions of settings.
Participants engaged in a deep discussion. Lawyer Elias Abu Al-Zulf raised critical questions for readers and Palestinians, such as divine approval for those returning to their homeland versus those who remained. He also questioned the preference for classical Arabic over the colloquial Arabic used by the author and noted a minor inaccuracy regarding musical movements in the concerto.
Writer and artist Afif Shleiyout recalled meeting Al-Madhoun before the novel's publication and shared the author's response about the connection between the Nakba and the Holocaust, stating that Palestinians had no direct link to the Holocaust, while Jews had a direct role in the Nakba. Al-Madhoun emphasized that one cannot empathize with others' tragedies without experiencing them. Shleiyout praised the novel's structure and vivid narrative.
Souad Bahouth highlighted the novel's clear exploration of Palestinian identity, displacement, and exile, as well as the relationship between the homeland and the diaspora, and the interweaving of times and voices, all embodying the Palestinian tragedy from various perspectives. Poet Ibrahim Hassanein described the novel as engaging and beautifully written, noting that the Nakba resulted in numerous stories within the narrative. Dr. Nabil Saada observed that the novel depicted internal conflicts among characters within the larger societal conflict, interpreting the title "Destinies" as referring to the fate imposed or chosen by Palestinians.