Renowned Egyptian/British novelist Ahdaf Soueif will discuss her work with Hay Festival Director Peter Florence at the first meeting of the Bloomsbury Qatar Literary Salon. The Bloomsbury Qatar Literary Salon is an innovativeventure that will be based in both London and Doha. It will act as a platform to promote literary awareness, with an emphasis on Arab writing in Arabic and English. The Bloomsbury Qatar Literary Salon will act as a forum for those with an established interest in literature. It will be a dynamic means of establishing a transnational literary community. The Salon will host regular events in London and Doha in a variety of formats. The events will include readings and interviews with authors and will be based on a wide range of topics. They will be a medium for discussion and the exchange of ideas in an informal intellectual setting. The event is open to all with an interest in writing from and about the Arab world. It will take place in London on July 30. Ahdaf Soueif is the author of the bestselling The Map of Love (shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1999 and translated into more than 20 languages). Peter Florence, a British actor and director, founded the Hay Festival in 1988 with his father Norman Florence. Most recently, Florence has launched Beirut39, a project that will bring together 39 writers of Arab origin, under the age of 39 http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=July2009&file=Local_News2009072225922.xml TELL US WHERE PENINSULA! WHERE?!

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