Ghassan Zaqtan
Là où l'oiseau a disparuWhere the Bird Disappeared96 pages | 16 - 000 words. Originally published in Arabic in 1995. Published in English translation in 2018. All language rights available except for English and Arabic.
The Arab List
FICTION
WINNER OF PALESTINE BOOK AWARD 2019
Ce roman poétique qui se déroule dans les environs du village palestinien de Zakariyya, raconte la relation entre deux personnages aux profondes résonances mythiques dans la région, Yahya et Zakariyya. Ce sont des personnages qui vivent dans le présent mais qui portent les noms - et de nombreux traits - de deux saints. Allant d'aujourd'hui à la Palestine d'avant 1948, le livre présente à la fois un portrait captivant d'un village contemporain et une géographie sacrée qui se situe au-delà et en deçà de l'état actuel du monde. Sensuel, riche en allusions, mais en même temps centré sur les luttes d'aujourd'hui, Where the Bird Disappeared est un roman puissant qui parle à la fois de connexion et de dépossession.
Ghassan Zaqtan est un poète, romancier et éditeur palestinien, né près de Bethléem et ayant vécu en Jordanie, en Syrie, au Liban et en Tunisie. Il est l'auteur de nombreux recueils de poésie, de plusieurs romans et d'une pièce de théâtre, The Narrow Sea, qui a été primée au festival du Caire en 1994. Son recueil de vers Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me, traduit par Fady Joudah, a reçu le Griffin Poetry Prize en 2013. Zaqtan a été nominé pour le prix international de littérature Neustadt en 2014 et 2016. Son nom est apparu pour la première fois en 2013 parmi les favoris pour le prix Nobel de littérature.
This lyrical novel, set in the surroundings of the Palestinian village of Zakariyya, weaves a narrative rich in sensory detail yet troubled by the porousness of memory. It tells the story of the relationship between two figures of deep mythical resonance in the region, Yahya and Zakariyya, figures who live in the present but bear the names—and many traits—of two saints. Ranging from today into back to pre-1948 Palestine, the book presents both a compelling portrait of a contemporary village and a sacred geography that lies beyond and beneath the present state of the world. Sensual, rich in allusion, yet at the same time focused on the struggles of today, Where the Bird Disappeared is a powerful novel of both connection and dispossession.
Ghassan Zaqtan is a Palestinian poet, novelist, and editor, who was born near Bethlehem and has lived in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Tunisia. He is the author of numerous collections of poetry, several novels and a play, The Narrow Sea, which was honoured at the 1994 Cairo Festival. His verse collection Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me, translated by Fady Joudah, was awarded the Griffin Poetry Prize for 2013. Zaqtan was nominated for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in both 2014 and 2016. His name appeared for the first time in 2013 among the favourites to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Originally written in Arabic
PDF of English translation available
‘Zaqtan is certainly a master of his art, one who is able to be a mythmaker and a witness at the same time, which is rare among poets [. . .]. A word-artist of the first order.’—Ilya Kaminsky
‘Zaqtan’s narrative is lyrical, heartbreaking and profound. Rooted in Palestine — a land that stood the test of time and would go on to become the hub of early and modern civilizations — the story is captivating enough to transport us to the hideaway monastery in Nuba Karam or the vineyards of Beit Jalla, the new homes for several villagers forced into exile.’—Arab News