Jameel Library’s winter programming includes a second edition of its popular ‘Confluence’ reading groups led by artist Noush Anand (English) and translator, critic and blogger Hafsa Hariga (Arabic). The sessions are based on a bibliography curated by Omar Berrada as part of ‘Research Studio: Confluence’ which took place at Project Space Art Jameel in June 2018. The groups are free, and open to all who are curious about how stories shape us.

To register, please email your full name and language preference to [email protected]. Each group will be open to 15 participants, on a first come first serve basis. Participants are expected to commit to the reading material and to attend all sessions, as places are limited.

The reading groups are entirely free of charge, however, participants who do not bring their own reading materials are asked to pay for the cost of the books which can be provided upon request; the total of which will not exceed AED 150. The groups are open to all who are curious about how stories shape us.

English-language reading group dates (led by Noush Anand)

December 22,  January 12,  January 26, February 2 and February 9. (11am-1pm)

The group discusses Mona Baker’s Translation & Conflict: A Narrative Account, which explores how interpretation operates in conflicts, alongside excerpts by artists and poets exploring their own subjectivity. Some key themes will include questioning the notion of objectivity; the narratives that lie between seemingly unbiased statistical datasets; and how narratives build identity and culture.

Noush Anand is an interdisciplinary artist who belongs with Dubai. She performs enactments of community and citizenship, and is building a practice of dwelling, to understand how proximate relationships can reimagine old habits. She received her BFA in Theatre Design & Film Animation in 2007 from Concordia University, Montreal.

For information on the Arabic reading group, led by Hafsa Hariga, please click here.