This dialogue is part of a series of lectures, workshops, and seminars entitled "The Present Past: Writing Across Generations," organized by Sarah Murad and Rima Rantisi and sponsored by "Fam: Beirut Literary and Arts Magazine," the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Media Studies, the Department of English, the Women’s Studies Program and Gender, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut.

The series will showcase the works of female writers, artists, and researchers who have developed narrative methods to restore collective memory and unearth the overlooked legacy of the past. They have introduced innovative approaches in the realms of exploration and storytelling.

Drawing from their fictional and research works, as well as their autobiographies, we aim to illuminate styles of writing that challenge prevailing narrative structures and reimagine historical narratives.

 Zeina Al-Halabi is a writer, academic, and editor specializing in contemporary literature and culture. She has authored a book on the portrayal of intellectuals in literature and cinema since the 1990s. Zeina has also produced texts, articles, and translations focusing on literature, music, and visual arts. Currently, she works as a researcher at the Orient-Institut Beirut and serves as the editor of the Arabic section in "Fam: Beirut Literary and Artistic Magazine."

 Adania Shibli, born in Palestine in 1974, is a prolific writer known for her novels, plays, short stories, and articles. Her works "Messas" and "We Are All Equally Far from Love" were honored with the Al-Qattan Award for Young Writers in Palestine. Notably, her latest novel, "Minor Detail," was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2020 and also made the shortlist for the International Booker Prize in 2021. Shibli has shared her expertise through teaching and research roles at various European universities and at Birzeit University in Palestine.