Cúirt International Festival of Literature is 40 this year – and it's celebrating with a line-up led by Irish novelists Sally Rooney, Roddy Doyle and poet Paul Muldoon.
The international element is equally central to the popular Galway festival – and they’re bringing back the much-loved Cúirt Lecture next month with Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud talking about the literature of his homeland. He talks to RTÉ Arena's Kay Sheehy above.
To Khalid - By Ahmed Masoud
A week since Israel murdered you, my brother.
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To Khalid,
Eternal is your name in Arabic
So stay immortal,
beyond the borderlines of this world.
beyond the pain, beyond what you have seen in Gaza,
beyond your child's screams of hunger and fear.
You will be in a smokeless, bombless place,
so wait for me, brother.
Be patient and don't leave,
You are only allowed to go once
When I get there, I don't want to see you sad or old
hungry or tired
scared of bombs or big tanks
frustrated or worried
just stay as we were
two excited lads
want to play the Oud
and cycle to the beach
I will practice playing new songs
And I will show off
In the meantime, while you wait
You can find someone to teach them how to sand wood
to make beautiful furniture
Or teach the kids how to play marbles brilliantly
You can keep your big smile
as you busy yourself doing things for others
Like you have always done
whatever you do, just stay there
I am coming, I won't be long
The Cúirt Lecture with Ahmed Masoud: The Literature of Sumud is at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway on Saturday, 12 April 2025 at 5:30pm - find out more here, and listen to more from RTÉ Arena here.
