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Let’s meet in London

London’s Jewish Book Week takes place this year from 23 February – 2 March, and I’m going to be participating in two events.

On 27 February I’ll join photojournalist Judah Passow in a discussion, moderated by BBC journalist Robin Lustig, called Rethinking the Media.

There is no such thing as unbiased information but how does the system work? What is omitted and why? During the Lebanon war of 2006, Lisa Goldman managed to keep communication going with Lebanese bloggers, a fact which attracted the attention of the international media. In fact, this was the first live-blogged war. It was also the first war during which citizens of enemy states could engage in direct, real-time communication. And, of course, it was the first occasion on which bloggers exposed the errors made by mainstream media outlets. Award-winning photographer Judah Passow, whose pictures of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict are to be published as a book, Shattered Dreams, knows how images are chosen and made to speak volumes. They discuss with Robin Lustig how information is processed and presented to us.

Details are here.

And on Friday 29th February I’m giving a morning workshop called The Art of Blogging. Details here.

Despite its name, the London Jewish Book Week is not all about Jews. For example: Sayed Kashua, a Palestinian citizen of Israel / Israeli Arab / 1948 Palestinian / choose your term who writes critically acclaimed novels (and, most recently, a hit television series) in Hebrew, will be there, together with mystery writer Matt Beynon Rees, as will Zadie Smith and Adam Thirlwell and many other non-tribal types.

To my readers in London – especially those with whom I’ve corresponded in my typically erratic fashion: I hope to see you there.