Worldwide Reading for Ashraf Fayadh

The Mosaic Rooms and English PEN are pleased to participate in a worldwide reading in support of Ashraf Fayadh organised by the international literature festival Berlin. The reading of selected poems and other texts at The Mosaic Rooms aims to show solidarity with Ashraf and raise awareness of his current situation.

Ashraf Fayadh is a 35-year-old Palestinian-born poet, artist and curator who lives in Saudi Arabia and has been a key figure in taking Saudi contemporary art to a global audience through his work with the British-Saudi art organisation Edge of Arabia and as a curator for Venice Biennale.

On 17 November 2015, Ashraf Fayadh was charged with apostasy and sentenced to death.

Rights groups and international organisations have strongly condemned the sentence, while over 1000 poets and writers, including Adonis, Paul Muldoon and Carol Ann Duffy, are among the individuals who have signed PEN’s petition on his behalf. His lawyers have filed an appeal ahead of the 30-day deadline on 17 December.

Readings will be given by Selma Dabbagh, AL Kennedy, Hassan Abdulrazzak, Peter Kennard and Ruth Padel amongst others.

The worldwide reading seeks to raise and maintain awareness of Ashraf’s case at what could be a crucial time in the proceedings. The opening of The Mosaic Rooms’ exhibition, Suspended Accounts, featuring new work by emerging Palestinian artists, will follow the reading.