Manal Salameh, a promising debut Lebanese-French novelist. (Credit: Le DuQ)
"This book is a real cry from the heart that I needed to express in order to externalize the anxiety, fears, anger, and healthy revolt that inhabit me," confides Manal Salameh about "Habibi Beirut," her first novel just published by La Tribu (320 pages). Composed of sensitive fragments and intertwining reminiscences centered on the character of Amal, the author's fictional counterpart, it traces the quest for a Lebanese identity torn between here and elsewhere. The return to Lebanon, after 17 years away, becomes the thread for a broader exploration: that of origins, of female status, and of an identity that is always uncertain. More from Lebanese artists How Jamil Molaeb depicts war in the spirit of national unity But the text also resonates with a particular sharpness, as if caught up with urgent current...
"This book is a real cry from the heart that I needed to express in order to externalize the anxiety, fears, anger, and healthy revolt that inhabit me," confides Manal Salameh about "Habibi Beirut," her first novel just published by La Tribu (320 pages). Composed of sensitive fragments and intertwining reminiscences centered on the character of Amal, the author's fictional counterpart, it traces the quest for a Lebanese identity torn between here and elsewhere. The return to Lebanon, after 17 years away, becomes the thread for a broader exploration: that of origins, of female status, and of an identity that is always uncertain. More from Lebanese artists How Jamil Molaeb depicts war in the spirit of national unity But the text also resonates with a particular sharpness, as if caught up with urgent current...
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