Briton Harrison wins the Booker Prize for a novel dealing with artificial intelligence

British writer M. John Harrison received the Booker Prize on Monday for his novel “The End of Everything,” which raises concerns about artificial intelligence in a satirical and dark form that depicts Britain in the post-apocalyptic stage.

Harrison, 81 years old, became the oldest winner of this award, which is worth 50,000 pounds ($67,000), which contributes to enhancing the winner’s sales and raising his status.

Harrison beat out writers shortlisted: Marlon James, Douglas Stewart, Elizabeth Strout, Luke Kennard and Rebecca Perry.

Jury chair Mary Beard said in a press conference that “The End of Everything” excelled “thanks to its brilliant and exceptional writing style, as well as to its enormous ambition.”

The novel, which is Harrison's thirteenth, deals with the story of Philip Tennent, who spends his time beachcombing, and his aunt Marnie, who suffers from dementia, on the stormy coast of England, which is subject to an invasion of mysterious objects known as "I-Getty." A mysterious disaster throws the two characters into a bleak, post-apocalyptic world where the European continent appears to have disappeared, while the emergence of i-Giti creatures that can mimic humans raises questions about interaction with artificial intelligence.

This 198-page novel evokes Britain’s exit from the European Union, the “Covid-19” pandemic, and the penetration of technology into daily life. The author previously stated that he was inspired by the financial crisis of 2008, and that he wanted to write a novel about “society’s inability to provide explanations.”

The award, which honors the best works of long fiction written by authors of any nationality in the English language and published during the past year, was awarded on Monday during a ceremony held in London.

Last year, British-Hungarian writer David Szalai won the award for his novel Flesh, a haunting story about a Hungarian immigrant in London.

In the Turkish village of Kayaköy you'll find a large school, narrow streets lined with houses straddling a steep valley, an ancient fountain, and churches, one of which offers stunning views over the Aegean Sea. However, for most of the past 100 years, there have been no residents.

Kayaköy, which is located in Mugla Province, southwestern Türkiye, is considered a “ghost village” abandoned by its residents and haunted by memories of the past. It looks like a memorial in which time has stopped, and a physical reminder of “dark” times in Türkiye’s history, according to what the American CNN network reported. With hills dotted with crumbling buildings slowly swallowed by greenery, and endless views of lives gone by, the village is also a charming tourist destination that warrants a visit.

Tensions between Türkiye and Greece

About a century ago, Kayaköy, or “Livesi” as it was formerly known, was a vibrant village inhabited by at least 10,000 Greeks, many of whom were artisans who lived peacefully alongside Turkish farmers in the area. However, in the turmoil that accompanied Türkiye's emergence as an independent republic, their simple lives were torn apart.

According to CNN, tensions with neighboring Greece after the end of the Greco-Turkish War in 1922 led the two countries to expel people with ties to the other country.

For the village of Kayaköy, this meant a forced exchange of residents with the Turks who were living in Kavala, in what is now the Greek region of Macedonia and Thrace. But the Turks who came to the village did not feel happy in their new homeland, so they quickly left, leaving Kayaköy to collapse and become mere ruins.

Co-author of the Kayaköy Tourist Guide, Jane Acati, says that earthquakes and storms also played their role in destroying the village buildings, and that “perhaps one of the reasons for the abandonment of the village was the palpable sadness that hung over the place after the tragic events that took place in the 1920s.”

They didn't like the color blue

Among the few who remain in the village are the grandparents of Aysun Ekiz, whose family today runs a small restaurant near Kayaköy's main entrance, serving refreshments to tourists coming to wander around the village. The stories of those difficult years have been passed down through generations.

“The Greeks were screaming because they didn’t want to leave,” says Ekiz, who now sells handmade jewelry to visitors. Some even left their children to be taken care of by Turkish friends because they thought they would return. But they never came back.”

Ekiz points out that her ancestral family were shepherds and easily adapted to life on the outskirts of the village. She adds that the majority of people who moved to Kayaköy did not like to live there because the walls of the houses were painted blue, a color said to protect against scorpions or snakes.

She says that the Turks who moved to the village did not like this blue paint. Remnants of blue are still visible on the remaining walls of about 2,500 houses that make up Kayaköy, although few other decorative touches remain after decades of exposure to the elements.

However, what remains is still worth exploring as a glimpse into an ancient way of life on the cusp of the modern era. Day visitors pay a fee of 3 euros (a little more than $3) at a small kiosk on the main road before entering Kayaköy. From there, they can walk up and down its steep and uneven lanes and alleys.

On the verge of its twentieth year, the “Beirut Tartanam” festival announced the program of its 19th session, during a meeting held at the Yacht Club in the center of the capital. The festival presents a variety of hymns, classical music, tarab and jazz, through successive concerts spanning 23 days, distributed across university theatres, churches and museums. From December 1 to December 23, Lebanese from all segments will be able to attend these evenings for free.

The festival will open its activities with the international Lebanese pianist Abdel Rahman Al-Basha, with whom his son Kamil will participate in an evening that brings them together for the first time in front of an audience in the capital. Together, the two perform a musical duet hosted by the Jesuit Church of Saint Joseph in the Mono area of ​​Beirut.

The festival also hosts prominent international musical names, including Chinese violinist Ning Fang, one of the most famous classical violinists in the world, who will perform in a concert on December 21 in the Assembly Hall at the American University of Beirut.

The Trio di Parma group, one of the most prominent Italian chamber music groups, will also participate on the sixth night of the festival, with a concert held at the same university. As for the Spanish violinist Leticia Moreno, she will perform her musical evening on December 20 at Saint Elias Church in the Kantari area.

Among the names recording their first participation in “Beirut Chant” is the Polish pianist Zaimon Nehring, who will present his concert on December 18 in the Assembly Hall at the American University. He is one of the winners of prestigious awards in international competitions.

The program includes a tribute to the late French artist Dalida, on December 12, at the “Irwin Hall Auditorium” Theater at the Lebanese American University. The evening will be hosted by Egyptian mezzo-soprano Farah Al-Debani, accompanied by the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Maestro Lebanon Baalbaki.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the director and founder of the festival, Micheline Abi Samra, confirmed that the audience of “Beirut Taranam” constitutes a living example of Greater Lebanon, as people from different regions come every night to celebrate the music. She adds: “Our international guests are greatly influenced by the festival’s audience, and they do not hesitate to talk about its interaction and broad musical culture in their countries.”

Abi Samra describes the 19th session as a continuation of a long journey of faith in Lebanon. She stresses that, despite the harsh conditions he is going through, the sun must shine on his people, just as it does in the depths of winter.

She points out that the festival's supporters belong to the real Lebanon, which is proud of all its sects without exception, noting that this unity is what allowed the festival to reach what it is today.

The press interview took place in the presence of Lebanese Minister of Tourism Laura Khazen Lahoud, who confirmed in a speech she delivered on the occasion that “Beirut Sings” has become a part of the city, and that its free concerts bring together Lebanese from different regions and backgrounds around music during the holiday period.

For his part, Richard Azoury, director of the “Beirut Singing Sistema” project, distributed prizes to the six winners of a violin playing competition, organized in cooperation with the Polish Embassy in Lebanon. The winners' ages ranged between 8 and 17 years, and at the conclusion of the meeting, they performed live musical pieces in front of the audience.

In an interview with her, the winner Ella confirmed that she dreams of one day standing on the “Beirut Singing” stage, like the prominent Lebanese and international names participating in its activities. She says: “It requires skill and effort, but it is a dream worth the effort that its owner expends, because it makes it shine.” Regarding the violinist who left an impact on her, she answers: “I have the utmost admiration and appreciation for my teacher and conductor of the Beirut Chanting Orchestra, Ramzi Kandalaft. He is my source of inspiration, and the one who taught me to love commitment to what I do in the world of music.”

As for the youngest winner, Sophie, she confirms that her first and last dream is to become a high-level violinist, while she found in the Polish violinist Shimon Teleski the ideal image of the musician who inspires her.

The festival allocates space for Lebanese musicians participating in its concerts, led by singer and oud player Firas Ayndari, who will meet on the evening of December 9 with qanun player Muhammad Nahas, Khalil Al-Baba on the violin, and Magdy Zein Al-Din on the percussion instrument. The evening will be held at the Greek Melkite Catholic Saint Elias Cathedral in Beirut.

As for the Lebanese soprano of Armenian origins, Shoghigh Torossian, she will perform a concert accompanied by two pianists on December 11, in the Saint Maroun Church in Gemmayzeh.

The Al-Fayhaa National Choir will be a guest at the festival on the evening of December 13, to perform a group of Lebanese songs led by Maestro Barkev Taslakian, and with the participation of guest of honor George Khabbaz. This evening, the artists will gather under the roof of the Mar Elias Greek Catholic Church in Beirut.

For fans of Vivaldi’s music, there is an appointment on December 19 with the “Du Fiat au Gloria” oratorio, in St. Joseph Church in the Mono area of ​​Beirut.

The festival concludes its activities on December 23 with the “A Ray of Hope” concert, performed by the Notre Dame University Choir led by Father Khalil Rahma, with the participation of mezzo-soprano Marie-Joe Abi Nassif, her colleague Michael Javello, and tenor Gael Lefebvre.

As the festival approaches its second decade, Micheline Abi Samra points out that the Lebanese are on a date with a version full of surprises. She says: “I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of our twentieth year, and the concerts it will bring that will serve as an exceptional tribute overflowing with amazement to a capital that deserves it.”