When Barbara Shatara, a librarian at the Fletcher Free Library, asked her family and friends to name Canadian writers, she learned that few of them could come up with names besides The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood. They're missing out on learning about other parts of the world, she suggested, because they primarily read the works of U.S. or British writers. In her 20 years at Burlington's Fletcher, Shatara said, the library hasn't made a sustained effort to highlight literature from other parts of the world — until now. When the Fletcher kicks off its "In Translation: Literature of the Arab World" programming on October 13, Burlington resident Shatara hopes Vermonters will take the opportunity to learn more about the Middle East and North Africa and their people. The Arab world, she noted, is often perceived as a fractured region of fluctuating stability. Some Americans maintain a stereotypical image of Arabs as refugees trying to get into European countries. "It's important to remember that there is so much more to [the Arab world] than that," said Shatara, "and that's what we're going to explore." Over nine months, participants will discuss books written in Arabic and translated into English. Among them is Iraqi author Ahmed Saadawi's Frankenstein in Baghdad, which won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2014. Another notable inclusion is The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi, the 2013 recipient of the prize. The Fletcher's foreign-language collection has about 15 Arabic-language books, Shatara noted. Auxiliary cultural programming will include film screenings, language classes and food tastings to provide additional context for understanding the region and its literary traditions. The first third of the series will focus on Jordan, Egypt and Palestine. Shatara, who coordinates the Fletcher's programs and partnerships, credited Burlington resident and retired IBM engineer Faye Baker with the idea for "In Translation." In the summer of 2017, Baker, a voracious reader who has participated in book discussions at the library, suggested that Shatara start a book club featuring authors from countries that were on President Donald Trump's original travel ban. "Barbara's face just brightened," recalled Baker, who called Shatara her "kindred spirit." The two women got together with Mousa Ishaq, Baker's former colleague at IBM, and his wife, Kristin Peterson-Ishaq, over home-cooked Middle Eastern dinners to develop more comprehensive programming. Ishaq, who is of Palestinian origin, is the chairperson of the Burlington-Bethlehem-Arad Sister City Program. Peterson-Ishaq…
When Barbara Shatara, a librarian at the Fletcher Free Library, asked her family and friends to name Canadian writers, she learned that few of them could come up with names besides The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood. They're missing out on learning about other parts of the world, she suggested, because they primarily read the works of U.S. or British writers. In her 20 years at Burlington's Fletcher, Shatara said, the library hasn't made a sustained effort to highlight literature from other parts of the world — until now. When the Fletcher kicks off its "In Translation: Literature of the Arab World" programming on October 13, Burlington resident Shatara hopes Vermonters will take the opportunity to learn more about the Middle East and North Africa and their people. The Arab world, she noted, is often perceived as a fractured region of fluctuating stability. Some Americans maintain a stereotypical image of Arabs as refugees trying to get into European countries. "It's important to remember that there is so much more to [the Arab world] than that," said Shatara, "and that's what we're going to explore." Over nine months, participants will discuss books written in Arabic and translated into English. Among them is Iraqi author Ahmed Saadawi's Frankenstein in Baghdad, which won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2014. Another notable inclusion is The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi, the 2013 recipient of the prize. The Fletcher's foreign-language collection has about 15 Arabic-language books, Shatara noted. Auxiliary cultural programming will include film screenings, language classes and food tastings to provide additional context for understanding the region and its literary traditions. The first third of the series will focus on Jordan, Egypt and Palestine. Shatara, who coordinates the Fletcher's programs and partnerships, credited Burlington resident and retired IBM engineer Faye Baker with the idea for "In Translation." In the summer of 2017, Baker, a voracious reader who has participated in book discussions at the library, suggested that Shatara start a book club featuring authors from countries that were on President Donald Trump's original travel ban. "Barbara's face just brightened," recalled Baker, who called Shatara her "kindred spirit." The two women got together with Mousa Ishaq, Baker's former colleague at IBM, and his wife, Kristin Peterson-Ishaq, over home-cooked Middle Eastern dinners to develop more comprehensive programming. Ishaq, who is of Palestinian origin, is the chairperson of the Burlington-Bethlehem-Arad Sister City Program. Peterson-Ishaq…