Mahmoud Darwish and contemporary Palestinian poetry, Friday night at Sursock Museum

In France, as part of the Mediterranean Season 2026, the Centre Pompidou is partnering with the Arab World Institute from Sept. 25 to 27 to celebrate Mahmoud Darwish, a major figure in Arabic and world poetry. At the same time, about 30 venues worldwide are celebrating Mahmoud Darwish, each with its own unique artistic program.

In Beirut, the event will take place on Sept. 25 in the auditorium of the Sursock Museum. The evening is organized by the International House of Writers ("Beyt El Kottab"), under the artistic direction of Charif Majdalani and Rima Abdul Malak, in partnership with the Centre Pompidou, with the support of L’Orient-Le Jour, the French Institute of Lebanon and the Sursock Museum, under the patronage of the Culture Ministry.

Free entry; no reservation required. Subject to availability.

Program:

7 p.m.: Screening (auditorium)
“Mahmoud Darwish: And the Land, Like the Language,” a film by Simone Bitton and Elias Sanbar
Duration: 50 minutes
Languages: Arabic and French with French subtitles

8:15 p.m.: Poetry and musical reading (auditorium)
Introduction by Charif Majdalani and Rima Abdul Malak

Readings by Dana Mikhael, Rima Abdul Malak, Tarek Yacoub, Antoine Gaspard and Raed Tayyan, accompanied on violin by Jack Estephan.
Languages: Arabic (mostly), French and English

Poems by Mahmoud Darwish, Rifaat al-Areer, Najwan Darwish, Samar Abdel Jaber, Hind Jouda, Mosab Abo Toha, Neema Hassan, Raed Tayyan, Karim Kattan and Samer Abou Hawwash.