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Last broadcast on Wed, 16 Mar 2011, 09:32 on BBC World Service (see all broadcasts).
Synopsis
The best of the world's arts, film, literature and music brought to you every day. Presented by Anna McNamee.
In today's programme: we find out the winners of the Arab world's biggest literary prize which for the first time has been shared, the South African artist Vivienne Koorland has a new solo exhibition on in London and composer Tod Machover discusses his new opera Death and the Powers.
THE 4th INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR ARABIC FICTION
For the first time the Arab world's biggest literary prize has been shared. The joint-winners are Mohammed Achaari from Morocco and Raja Alem from Saudi Arabia; Alem is the first female author to win. Achaari's The Arch and the Butterfly explores the devastating affect of islamic extremism and terrorism on one muslim couple who discover their son has died fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Alem's The Dove's Necklace takes us to the holy city of Mecca and down into its corrupt metropolitan underbelly. Chair of Judges, the Iraqi poet and novelist Fadhil Al-Azzawi, explains why the jury could not decide between two novels whose material reflects the wider social and political debates fuelling current public protests and rebellion across the Middle East.
Photo shows the chair of judges.
Photo by: Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy
Arabic Fiction Prize Extra
Photo shows Mohammed Achaari and Raja Alem.
Photo by: Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy
VIVIENNE KOORLAND
The South African artist has a new solo exhibition on in London and takes the opportunity to reflect on work which she describes as re-making. Layers of re-cycled materials echo the way ever-changing human history comes full circle over time.
Picture shows: Beautiful Eyes, 2010 oil on stitched linen, 46 x 56 cm
VIVIENNE KOORLAND
Photo shows: AK-47/Kalashnikov, 2010 oil and acrylic on burlap, 91 x 81 cm
TOD MACHOVER
Tod Machover discusses his new opera "Death and the Powers" ahead of its US premiere in Boston. The composer has always loved to combined music and science and co-founded the prestigious MIT Media Lab in 1985. Using a new performance technology developed there, the opera includes a living wall, a musical chandelier and a chorus of robots.
Photo: Scene from Death and the Powers
TOD MACHOVER - Death and the Powers Extra 1
TOD MACHOVER - Death and the Powers Extra 2
Chapters
Broadcasts
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Tue 15 Mar 201122:32
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Wed 16 Mar 201103:32
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Wed 16 Mar 201109:32
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