Translating Libya: In Search of the Libyan Short Story

Part anthology and part travelogue, Translating Libya presents the country through the eyes of sixteen Libyan short story writers and one American diplomat.Translating Libya, published in 2008, was one of the first books to introduce Libyan literature to an English-speaking audience. The updated 2014 revision includes a foreword by Ahmed Ibrahim Fagih, one of Libya's most recognised authors, and a new introduction by the author, in light of the Libyan Revolution and its aftermath, which he witnessed firsthand. 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. 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.

About the Author :
Ethan Chorin is an American businessman and writer. He was one of the first U.S. diplomats posted to Libya after the lifting of U.N. sanctions, and returned to Benghazi after the 2011 Libyan Revolution as co-founder of an organization working to build trauma capacity. In addition to Translating Libya, he is author of Exit the Colonel: The Hidden History of the Libyan Revolution (Public Affairs, 2012), a comprehensive account of the origins of Libya’s February 17th Revolution. Chorin’s features and Op-Eds have appeared in a number of international publications, including The New York Times, The Financial Times, Forbes and Foreign Policy. He is a frequent commentator on Libyan affairs for the BBC. A two-time Fulbright Fellow (Jordan and Yemen),Chorin holds a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley, an MA from Stanford University, and a BA from Yale University, with distinction in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures.

Review :
"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; "Through the stories and his accompanying jottings and commentaries, Chorin throws much light on different facets of Libya...The book is at the same time a delightful mixture of travelogue, scholarly study, and a record of personal encounters."- Susanna Tarbush, Qantara