In 2007 Ms Soueif founded the Palestine Festival of Literature – PalFest, which takes place in the cities of occupied Palestine and Gaza. Ms Soueif has been awarded four honorary doctorates and was the first recipient of the Mahmoud Darwish Award (Palestine) in 2010. Beneath the Lion's Gaze, her debut, was selected by the Guardian as one of the 10 best contemporary African books. Mina Thabet is a UK-based writer, researcher and human rights expert focusing on the Middle East and North Africa. He is the head of the MENA region for PEN International and have been covering issues of freedom of expression and the challenges writers face across the region.
