Banipal's Editor Samuel Shimon writes: "This is Banipal's 40th issue, and what an amazing coincidence that it should be dedicated to the celebration of Libyan literature at such an extraordinary historical moment in the Arab world when the region is witnessing a chain of uprisings and revolutions against dictatorial and corrupt regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and, finally, Libya.
"We at Banipal are very proud of this special issue on Libyan fiction, and with it announce our absolute solidarity with the Libyan people in their aspiration to democratic rule and the exercising of all their rights, the first of which are to express their thoughts and the abolition of all forms of censorship on audio-visual media and literature."
The Libyan authors are: Ghazi Gheblawi, Wafa Al-Bueissa, Hisham Matar, Ibrahim al-Koni, Mohammed Mesrati, Razan Naim Moghrabi, Mohammed al-Asfar, Ahmed Fagih, Giuma Bukleb, Omar el-Kiddi, Saleh Snoussi, Najwa Binshatwan, Omar Abulqasim Alkikli, Azza Kamil al-Maghour, Ibrahim Ahmidan, Redwan Abushwesha, Mohammed al-Arishiya, Mohammed al-Anaizi. There is also profile on Ali Mustafa al-Musrati.
In addition, there are fiction writers from Morocco (Abdelkarim Jouiti) and Oman (Jokha al-Harthi), an excerpt from a memoir, just published, by Abdo Wazen, one of Lebanon's major poets, and an interview with Alawiya Sobh, one of the Arab world's finest women novelists. Plus book reviews and Books in Brief.
"We at Banipal are very proud of this special issue on Libyan fiction, and with it announce our absolute solidarity with the Libyan people in their aspiration to democratic rule and the exercising of all their rights, the first of which are to express their thoughts and the abolition of all forms of censorship on audio-visual media and literature."
The Libyan authors are: Ghazi Gheblawi, Wafa Al-Bueissa, Hisham Matar, Ibrahim al-Koni, Mohammed Mesrati, Razan Naim Moghrabi, Mohammed al-Asfar, Ahmed Fagih, Giuma Bukleb, Omar el-Kiddi, Saleh Snoussi, Najwa Binshatwan, Omar Abulqasim Alkikli, Azza Kamil al-Maghour, Ibrahim Ahmidan, Redwan Abushwesha, Mohammed al-Arishiya, Mohammed al-Anaizi. There is also profile on Ali Mustafa al-Musrati.
In addition, there are fiction writers from Morocco (Abdelkarim Jouiti) and Oman (Jokha al-Harthi), an excerpt from a memoir, just published, by Abdo Wazen, one of Lebanon's major poets, and an interview with Alawiya Sobh, one of the Arab world's finest women novelists. Plus book reviews and Books in Brief.