THROUGHOUT the bombardment of Baghdad, Salam Pax was a shadowy figure, updating his blog from inside the besieged city despite regular power cuts, giving his readers a frontline view of the horrifying events he lived through.
Now the man known as the "Baghdad Blogger" is set to come to Edinburgh to take part in a debate on present-day Iraq.
The event is one of the highlights of the Reel Iraq Festival, set up to celebrate the culture of a country which, in recent years,
has been mostly associated with violence and suffering.
At the time of the bombing in 2003, Salam Pax's true identity was unknown to his readers, but his English-language blog became compulsive reading. Since then, he has worked as a journalist in the UK – and revealed his true name, Salam al-Janabi.
Now living back in Baghdad, it is hoped he will travel to Edinburgh to join the panel for the British Council-backed panel discussion on May 18, which will ask participants to discuss whether they think Iraq has finally turned a corner.
The Reel Iraq Festival runs from May 14-July 12 and includes films, art exhibitions, lectures and discussions, and a concert. It is arranged by Reel Festivals and the Edinburgh University Settlement, is based at the Roxy Art House in Roxburgh Place, but will take place at a range of venues.
Administrator Ericka Duffy said: "There's going to be some really great events."
The festival is intended to attract both audiences who are already familiar with Iraqi culture and those encountering it for the first time.
Ms Duffy said: "The whole concept is to be as inclusive as possible. For people who might feel under-represented in culture and art here, this will be an event where they will feel included.
"We'd like to open other people's eyes to the country's arts and culture. With Iraq, people have a certain concept about it because of the war, but artwork is the easiest medium that people can use to feel an empathy and understanding for other people."
A British Council Scotland spokesman said: "The Iraq war is one of the defining issues of the 21st century. The British Council remains committed to our belief that dialogue makes a brave and sensitive effort to open up thinking about important issues.
"Discussions around subjects such as culture and identity are bound to raise new perspectives and we are determined to continue to provide forums for the constructive sharing of views.
"Has Iraq Turned a Corner? will explore where Iraq finds itself now and its future prospects. We are delighted to be working with the Reel Iraq Festival."
The panel discussion is free, but places are limited. E-mail iraq panel@britishcouncil.org before May 11, including your name and telephone number.
Salam Pax's war blog is at
http://dear_raed.blogspot.com. His current blog is
http://salampax.wordpress.com