The Festival Café is transformed into a cyber-lounge where patrons can quiz dissident writers in Pakistan. Join James Fergusson, Fatima Bhutto, Mustafa Qadri and Sara Haghdoosti as they talk and tweet about Pakistan, a country at the nexus of the so-called war on terror. Use #swfcafe to join in the conversation.
Supported by Amnesty International.
Fatima Bhutto (International)
Fatima Bhutto is an Afghan-born Pakistani poet and writer. She studied at Columbia University and the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She is the granddaughter of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and niece of Benazir Bhutto. She is active in Pakistan's socio-political arena but has no desire to run for political office. She currently writes columns for ‘The Daily Beast’, ‘New Statesman’ and other publications. fatimabhutto.com.pk
Mustafa Qadri is Amnesty International’s Pakistan researcher. Born and raised in Sydney, Mustafa is an independent journalist who lived in Pakistan for three years until 2011 where he reported on terrorism, human rights and politics. He writes regularly for ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Australian’ and is frequently featured on Radio National Australia. mustafaqadri.net
James Fergusson is a freelance journalist and foreign correspondent who has written for many publications including ‘The Independent’, ‘The Times’, ‘The Daily Telegraph’, ‘The Daily Mail’ and ‘The Economist’. His book, ‘The Vitamin Murders: Who Killed Healthy Eating in Britain?’, was shortlisted for the André Simon Award for gastronomic literature. His latest book, ‘Taliban’, is the definitive history of the religious movement which became the world's most feared fighting force. He is married with two daughters and a son and lives in Edinburgh.
Sara Haghdoosti is an Iranian/Australian feminist. She was a finalist in ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ Young Writer of the Year awards and one of the top 10 delegates chosen for the 2020 summit. She was the national recruitment director for the Power Shift conference earlier this year, has appeared on ABC TV’s ‘Q&A’ and currently works as a campaigner for GetUp! Australia.
Sydney Writers' Festival is Australia’s largest annual literary celebration. The Festival returns 14-20 May 2012, with School Days 2012 running from 21-25 May.
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