On the occasion of this celebration, held each year on December 18, Casa Árabe organized an homage to the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, upon the tenth anniversary of his death.

In the year of 2012, UNESCO established December 18 as International Arabic Language Day as a way to call for the promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity in the world as a core feature of mankind’s cultural wealth. The Arabic language, in both its classical form and the numerous dialects that have evolved from it, is a universal language, through which the identities, beliefs and aspirations of peoples on every continent are expressed. It is a bridge between cultures and a concrete medium for complementing knowledge, perceptions and mutual understanding in favor of peace.

To commemorate this date, Casa Árabe organized an homage to Mahmoud Darwish, one of the most renowned poets in the Arabic language, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of his death. Taking part in the event are Farouk Mardam-Bey, director of the “Sindbad” collection published by Actes Sud; Luz Gómez, a professor of Arab studies at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and a translator of Darwish; Jorge Gimeno, a poet, and Amir-John Haddad EL AMIR, a musician.

After a quick overview of the works by the poet from his earliest era, Farouk Mardam-Bey presented Darwish’s poetic journey from the time he took up residence in Paris in 1983 until his death in 2008. It also included several memories of the speaker’s friendship, as he accompanied the poet on his travels and at his seminars. The event also included participation by Arabist Luz Gómez, who spoke about her experience as a translator of the author’s works, for which she received the National Translation Award of 2012. As for Spanish writer Jorge Gimeno, he discussed Darwish’s work from a poetic perspective, with the accompanient of a poetry reading and a concert.

More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/international-arabic-language-day-2