Libya's revolution 'far from over'

18 May 2012, 5:45 pm   -   Source: FARID FARID, SBS
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Hisham Matar, a Libyan British novelist and a guest at Sydney Writers’ Festival, says Libya's transition to democracy will take a long time.

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Hisham Matar, a Libyan British novelist and keynote for this year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival, says Libya's transition to democracy will take a long time.

Matar is author of ‘Anatomy of a Disappearance’ which bears resemblance to his own life circumstances. His father was abducted by the Gaddafi regime in 1990. He has not seen him since.

When asked about former leader Muammar Gaddafi's capture and subsequent death, Mr Matar says Lybia's future is being decided right now.

“The removal of the dictatorship is the beginning of the conversation of what sort of country this is going to be and you can see those struggles being played out in Libya."

Mr Matar was born in New York, grew up in Egypt and now lives in London.

In 2006 he was nominated for the Booker Prize for his book In the Country of Men and his essays have appeared widely in publications such as The New Yorker and The Guardian.

When asked about his views on Libya's unrest, Mr Matar prefered not to comment, saying while his views as an artist are public, his opinions as a citize are not.

"There are different factions having different ideas about what sort of society we are and what society we want to be”.

Matar is currently writing an extended essay about his return to Libya for the first time in 33 years.

“I was deeply moved, as if I have returned ... to a place more engaged with life as a citizen".

Hisham Matar is appearing at other Sydney Writers’ Festival events this weekend.
  


 

Libyan Politics , Hisham Matar

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