São Paulo – Next Sunday (28th) in Beirut, the historian and writer Roberto Khatlab will release a book about Lebanese presence in the world. The author was born in Maringá, in the state of Paraná, but is currently living in Lebanon. His book gives an overview of the Lebanese and descendants drawn from his travels, meetings, and interviews at different locations over a five-year span.
The book is in French, entitled “Les Libanais dans le Monde, Vision socio-culturelle et historique,” which means “The Lebanese in the world, sociocultural and historical view.” “It gives accounts of the stories of pioneers and of those who now live in these diverse societies, where we find the Lebanese and their descendants in all areas,” says Khatlab.
The places in which the author came in contact with the Lebanese include the Americas, in regions such as Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica, to Africa, in Senegal and Egypt, or other parts of the world, such as the Reunion Island, on the Indian Ocean, the Philippines and Japan, Switzerland and Portugal, among others.
Khatlab found Lebanese and descendants in literature, including writers of the likes of Milton Hatoum, Salim Miguel and Alphonse Sabbagh, in Brazil, Edgardo Zuein, in Argentina, and Michel Saad, in the Reunion Island. In cinema, he writes about the actress and director Salma Hayek, in Mexico, Vanessa Saba, a Peruvian actress, and director Soraya Umewaka, in Japan. In Music, Khatlab discusses Shakira, from Colombia, and Yasmien Kurdi, from the Philippines.
The book also mentions businessmen such as the Mexican Carlos Slim, advertising professionals such as Brazil’s Roberto Duailibi, politicians such as the Brazilian vice president Michel Temer, and the current mayor of São Paulo, Gilberto Kassab, as well as members of academia, such as Costa Rica’s Jose Zaglul, among others.
Khatlab defines his research and publication as “A tour around the world, past and present, analysing why migrate, the choice of place to migrate to, adaptation to the new society, and the ties which remain with Lebanon, the homeland of the immigrants’ ancestors,” says the historian. Lebanon survived and still survives, the writer emphasizes, partly due to the remittances of money from its expatriates, of which there are more than 10 million. These remittances range from US$ 8 billion to US$ 10 billion a year.
“A new phenomenon, after the 1990s, is that many second- and third-generation descendants are seeking their roots. Many travel to Lebanon to visit the cities of their ancestors, and meet relatives from whom they have been separated for years because of wars,” says Khatlab.
The book includes a preface by Michel Eddé, former Lebanese minister of Culture and president of the Maronite Foundation in the World. It is a publication of the Lebanese publishing house Dar Saer Al Mashrek and will be launched at the 20th French Book Fair in Beirut, which starts next Friday (26th) and will continue until November 4th, at the Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center (Biel). The book will be launched at the venue’s Event Centre.
Khatlab has several books published, in Portuguese, French, English, Spanish and Arabic. Presently, he is the director of the Centre for Latin American Studies and Cultures at the Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (Cecal-Usek).
Service:
Book: "Les Libanais dans le Monde, Vision socio-culturelle et historique"
Language: French
Author: Roberto Khatlab
Author’s email: robertokhatlab@yahoo.fr
Publishing house: Dar Saer Al Mashrek
Publishing house contact: www.entire-east.com
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
