The poet and humanist Charles Corm (1894-1963) inaugurated the Lebanese Friendships in 1935 to “encourage cooperation in the humanities and sciences.” Corm transformed his home into a platform for debate. Lebanese and foreign intellectuals along with members of the public would meet in his vast library, often until late at night, to listen to talks on topics as diverse as Ibn Khaldun the father of sociology or T. S. Eliot’s poetry.

Today, the Charles Corm Foundation hopes to revive the idea of the Lebanese Friendships, by hosting in the same unique location, researchers, authors and artists for talks, exhibitions and more, under the generous and humanist banner set out by the poet almost 90 years ago.


Photo: The Mourners by Youssef Hoayek