Perspective on Revolution
Author Hisham Matar will discuss "The Writer in Revolution" at Kenyon on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Matar, who has had two novels published and has contributed short fiction and essays to many publications in the United States and around the world, will speak at 4:00 p.m. in the Community Foundation Theater in the Graham Gund Gallery.
Born in New York City, Matar spent his childhood in Libya and Egypt. His first novel, In the Country of Men, was published in 2006 and won several awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Best First Book award for Europe and South Asia, and the inaugural Arab American Book Award. The novel has been translated into 26 languages. His second novel, Anatomy of a Disappearance, was published this year. Matar has also been published in The New Yorker, the New York Times, the Guardian, the Financial Times and a number of other international magazines and newspapers. He has appeared on the BBC, NPR and PBS.
Vernon Schubel, professor of religious studies, said Matar is a prominent voice in the Arab world. "Kenyon is very lucky to have him come speak to us at this crucial moment in the history of the Arab world and, in particular, about the remarkable events in Libya," he said.
Matar's visit is sponsored by the Richard L. Thomas Speakers Series, the Office of the Provost, The Kenyon Review, Islamic Studies, and the Middle East Students Association.