Literature as a Cultural Bridge

Literature has always crossed borders more easily than people or politics. This session explores how stories, poems, and narratives serve as bridges between cultures, enabling readers to step into worlds beyond their own. Writers, agents, and publishers will discuss the power of literature to foster empathy, mutual understanding, and dialogue across divides of language, geography, and history. The conversation will highlight both the opportunities and the challenges of bringing diverse voices to a global readership, asking how literature can deepen connections in an increasingly fragmented world. Milena Ascione, Literary agent and founder of BooksAgent, specialising in translation; Rana Idris, General Director of Dar Al Adab publishing house, Leila Aboulela, author and playwright, Nermin Mollaoglu, Founder of Kalem Literature Agency and Co-founder of translations imprint Linden Editions.