After its opening on May 12 The International Writers Festival organized by Mishkenot Sha`ananim was hosted all over Jerusalem and finaled last Friday with inspiring events shaping a new level of intercultural understanding and visionary literature.
For an intense impression on The International Writers Festival from May 12 to May 16 we recommend the articles written by Gaia Regoli, who participated in the Festival as an international Intern for The Jerusalem Foundation:
Opening of the International Writers Festival
Wandering Writers: Immigrant Writers
As the inspiring week on literature and cultural diversity celebrated its final day Shai Doron (President of The Jerusalem Foundation) and Meir Shalev (internationally renowned author known for his impressive literary achievements) took part in one of the central events on May 16. Being part of the talk on Animals of Jerusalem hosted by the journalist Roni Kuban, Shai Doron and Meir Shalev emphasized the connecting and uniting power of a festival bringing together so many people from all over the world with different cultural backgrounds. Sharing common beliefs and ideas in such a setting creates a more than special atmosphere and contributes significantly to shared living and learning in Jerusalem.
The Festival Director Moti Schwartz concludes similarly: “The power of literature is reflected in the sharing of ideas and knowledge, which is the key to freedom of thought, democracy, and equality. Literary activity opens a window to many voices and worlds, based, among other things, on the values of pluralism and enlightenment.”
