There was a time when everything I ever wanted was to be in Beirut, the beloved home, the enchantress of the Mediterranean, the city that – as the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism would once have it – “will never surrender.” But that changed, and well before the socioeconomic crisis turned our lives upside down, and the blast ensured that our lives would never and could never be the same again. The moment had come for a serious recalibration of my relationship with the city. The invitation to be a contributor to German literary magazine Die Horen’s special issue on Beirut gave me the first chance to do so, at least on paper.
“Nobodyās relationship with Beirut is rational. It wouldnāt be Beirut if it were. It will always be different to the rest. It will never fail to inspire, in its own extraordinary and outrageous kind of way. But until a new Beirut is rebuilt and reconfigured… The heart and soul still wander, searching for the home they endlessly dreamed of and long to go back to.“
Curated by Pascale Moussawbah and Rainer Merkel, “Beirut belongs to us,” gathers a select number of writers and artists to reflect on their relationship with Beirut, people who “have again witnessed total collapse but are at a wedge towards a reconfiguration, a possible Zero Hour, a Stunde Null.” Thank you Die Horen, Pascal and Rainer for making me part of this special issue.
For German readers, you can purchase the issue and read the translated version here. Meanwhile, the English version can be accessed and read here.
Eye on the East 