Nidaa Khoury, Palestinian Poet

Signs agreement in Medellin, Colombia

with Caribbean Publisher

GREAT BAy, St. Martin (June 30, 2004)—House of Nehesi Publishers and leading Palestinian poet Nidaa Khoury signed a letter of intent on June 24, in Medellin, Colombia to publish her new book of poems in St. Martin, Caribbean, said Lasana M. Sekou.

Khoury and Sekou were in the South American city to read poetry at the 14^th annual International Poetry Festival of Medellin, organized by Prometeo. It is thought to be the first time that two participants of the festival signed such an agreement at the height of the citywide event.

“We are looking at a publishing date of 2005, if all stays on schedule,” said Sekou, House Nehesi’s projects director who signed on behalf of the St. Martin publisher. “But either way once the publishing agreement is finalized, work will proceed steadily until this new book project is realized.”

Khoury was a favorite poet among the Medellin public attending the just concluded poetry festival. Widely read in the Arab world, her books have been published in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan and include The Prettiest of Gods Cry, The Barefoot River (in Arabic and Hebrew), Rings of Salt, The Belt of Wind, Braid of Thunder, and The Culture of Wine. Khoury, born in the Upper Galilee village of Fassota, lives in Israel and is involved in the Path to Peace organization and other human rights, NGO, and scholarly work.

In spite of the complexity of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict her work has been taught at Haifa University on the one hand and has been scrawled on public walls by Palestinian youths fighting for their rights. “This is a fascinating opportunity to bring this soulfully beautiful and virtually prophetic voice to the Caribbean and the Americas,” said Sekou. This will also be the first time that Khoury would be published in the Americas.

The new collection is planned for publication in English, Arabic, and Hebrew. House of Nehesi initiated discussions with the author to publish her newest collection in 2001, when Sekou first read and heard the English translations of Khoury’s poetry at Poetry Africa International Festival in South Africa, where both poets met.

“As with the new works of giants like Lamming, Brathwaite, and Baraka published by House of Nehesi, Khoury’s book will keep the bar raised to the highest in the literary arts while being profoundly engaged in the human liberation process.

“This is great inspiration and positive competition for aspiring writers and for our new authors. St. Martin people deserve this. And while we are a very small press, our wider Caribbean readers should expect no less from us,” said Sekou. Last week’s brief signing ceremony in Medellin took place in the restaurant of the Gran Hotel and was witnessed by Fernando Rendón, director of the International Poetry Festival of Medellin and the literary journal Prometeo.

Over 60 poets from over 50 countries and territories from the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific participated in the 10-day festival, which according to Sekou, “was attended literally by thousands of people.” Sekou and Khoury were also part of a smaller group of poets selected by the organizers to premier the festival in the Colombian capital of Bogotá.