Second Edition, 2014. $5.99, 273 pages
Intrigued by the absence of "place" in modern Libyan literature, Ethan Chorin resolved to find find short stories that mentioned specific locations in Libya, to translate the stories, and then to travel to the sites and describe what he found there. The result is a mixture of anthology (16 short stories by 14 authors) and unorthodox - and often amusing - travelogue, full of anecdotes from communities across Libya, during the later years of Moammar Gaddafi's rule.
The 2014 update includes a new, post-Revolution introduction by the author-editor, and a foreword by one of the most recognizable names in Libyan literature, Ahmed Ibrahim Fagih, whose classic "Al Jarad" (The Locusts) is included in the volume. The book has been widely cited as a key reference in Modern Libyan Literature, and features the work of several up-and-coming Libyan women authors.
Ethan Chorin, a former U.S. diplomat posted to Libya from 2004-2006, returned to Libya at the beginning of the 2011 Libyan Revolution to work on a trauma-related project. He is the author of "Exit the Colonel: The Hidden History of the Libyan Revolution (PublicAffairs, 2012)" He can be followed on Twitter @ethanchorin
http://www.amazon.com/Translating-Libya-Chasing-Libyan-Benghazi-ebook/dp/B00LI2J2YY