TRANSLATING LIBYA: In Search of the Libyan Short Story - Softcover

'With the tenacity of a bloodhound in full pursuit of his quarry, Chorin has scoured bookshops, newspapers, websites, knocked on doors, chased down leads, interviewed writers and travelled from one end of the country to another to put together this splendid and very original collection of stories' - The National, Justin Marozzi - author of Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood; 'For too long, Libya's literature during the Gaddafi years remained a mystery as the regime systematically suppressed all expressions of literary creativity that did not glorify its leader's self-proclaimed revolution. Chorin's volume is an immensely valuable addition to much of our emerging knowledge of Libya since 2011, and fills a longstanding gap in our knowledge, and appreciation, of Libya's literary landscape.' Prof. Diederik Vandewalle, Dartmouth University, author of A History of Modern Libya and Libya Since the Revolution; 'Anyone who wants to better understand Libya's complexities, past and present, could do no better than to approach them through the short stories included in the second edition of Translating Libya, and the new introduction to them. Chorin's perspective is both fascinating and extremely relevant.' Prof. Robert Springborg, King's College, London; 'His presentation takes the reader around the country over a period spanning a century, and provides insights into regional and social differences, assembling what he rightly describes as a 'geographic jigsaw puzzle'.The addition of a dramatic story written during the revolution provides a critical key, or pivot between pre- and Post-Gaddafi literature.' U.S. Ambassador Richard Murphy

Part anthology and part travelogue, Translating Libya presents the country through the eyes of seventeen Libyan short story writers and one American diplomat.Intrigued by the apparent absence of 'place' in modern Libyan short fiction, Ethan Chorin, one of the first U.S. diplomats posted to Libya, resolved in 2004 to track down and translate stories that specifically mentioned cities and landmarks in Libya - and then to visit those places, and describe what he encountered there. The result is a mixture of travelogue and memoir that sheds light on the social factors that fed the 2011 Revolution, and its aftermath. The collection includes pieces from the 'sixties generation' of writers, as well as a newer generation of Libyan writers, including several women, writing in a variety of styles, "twisted" 1001 nights, to allegory, fictionalized memoir and overt satire.First published in 2008, this was one of the first books to introduce Libyan literature to an English-speaking audience. The updated 2015 revision includes a Foreword by Ahmed Ibrahim Fagih, one of Libya's most recognised authors, a new Introduction and a selection of essays by the author written in light of the Libyan revolution along with additional short stories. Chorin explains how the stories, under cover of anonymity, distorted place-names and double-meanings reveal the depth of anger and despair that precipitated and fed the Arab Spring - and serve as a reminder to those who fought heroically for their freedom, that true courage springs from isolating, not repeating the mistakes of the past.