'The author's home town is falling apart. Lebanon's capital [...] has morphed into a symbol of devastation and hatred and madness. Majdalani is a survivor who still finds in himself the elegance to smile and hope' Amin Maalouf, Prix Goncourt winner

'It is rare to capture the moment when it first occurs, in real time, with these seemingly humble details that describe the instant in all its depth' Alexandra Schwartzbrod, Libération

'A short narrative that strikes straight at the heart' Gaëtane Morin, Le Parisien

When Charif Majdalani begins to walk the streets of his city, and to write down what he sees, the first hints of unrest within a vibrant culture creep to the fore. Majdalani's reportage through the months of 2020 bears witness to the ways in which an ancient civilization slowly, then rapidly, descends into the abyss: corruption and vice infect the corridors of power; currency plummets into freefall, rats scurry between piles of rotting rubbish that grow higher along the pavements. Born from the rancour of existential pestilence, violence erupts and Beirut's citizens find themselves in high-voltage stand-offs with law enforcement.

Then, the unexpected, Beirut collapses under the explosive force of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate. The blast kills hundreds and injures thousands. But through the rubble and the sirens, a people finds its strength to survive and its heart to unite. The city becomes the metaphor for each of our cultural capitals throughout the world.

Prizes

Winner of Prix Femina Special Jury Prize 2020 (France)

'The author's home town is falling apart. Lebanon's capital [...] morphed into a symbol of devastation and hatred and madness. Majdalani is a survivor who still finds in himself the elegance to smile and hope' -- Amin Maalouf, Prix Goncourt winner
'Powerful and original ... If much of the book's emotional power is channelled through its coverage of daily life in 2020, its analytical force is found in the broader themes it considers' * Spectator *
'It is rare to capture the moment when it first occurs, in real time, with these seemingly humble details that describe the instant in all its depth' -- Alexandra Schwartzbrod, Libération
'A short narrative that strikes straight at the heart' -- Gaëtane Morin, Le Parisien

Charif Majdalani is one of Lebanon's most important literary figures. His novel Moving the Palace won the 2008 François Mauriac Prize from the Academie Française. Ruth Diver is an award-winning translator based in New Zealand. Her 2016 joint translation of The Reader on the 6.27 was a Waterstones Book of the Month.