São Paulo – the Brazilian writer and politician Gabriel Chalita launched last Wednesday evening (9) in Beirut the Arabic version of his book “Socrates and Thomas More – Imaginary Letters.” The fictional piece features the two philosophers exchanging letters in which they discuss politics and human relationships. This is the first book by Chalita, who is of Lebanese and Syrian descent, to be released in Arabic. “To me this is not commercial, it’s emotional,” the writer told ANBA from Lebanon, where he attended the launch, over the telephone.
In the book, Socrates is a peasant and Thomas More, a professor. The former believes in his work as a farmer, and hasn’t lost hope in life and humanity. More is disillusioned and skeptical of human relationships. They question daily life, its developments and its unpredictability. The book was released in Brazil in 2011 by the publisher Planeta. The publisher in Lebanon is Beirut’s Dar Saers Mashrek. “This moves me, it’s my blood, the land of my grandparents,” Chalita said a day before the launch.
The idea for an Arabic version came up as Chalita spoke with the director of the Latin American Studies and Cultures Center (Cecal) at Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (Usek) in Lebanon, the Brazilian-born Roberto Khatlab. Chalita submitted to Khatlab the names of the books he has published abroad, and the Cecal director suggested the title that’s now being published. The writer says the reason is the fact that the book deals with a universal topic, with a timeless plot that is about human and political relationships in general, rather than about a particular country.
The book is part of the Latin America Collection of Lascc-Usek and was translated to the Arabic by professor Safa Jubran, from the São Paulo University (USP), who is an authority in translation for the language in Brazil. The collection, part of Usek’s Central Library, encourages the translation of Brazilian and Latin American works with the goal to promote this literature in Arab countries, according to Khatlab. He reminds that books from authors such as Milton Hatoum, Salim Miguel, Jorge Amado, Paulo Coelho, José Sarney, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, among others were also published.
The launching of “Socrates and Thomas More – Imaginary Letters” in Arabic took place at the Beirut International Arab Book Fair, which opened this Tuesday (8th) and ends this Thursday (10th). The author spoke on the book in the launching and Brazil’s ambassador in Lebanon, Jorge Kadri, who supports the initiative, presented the writer to the guests. Also in the launching ceremony, the writer and philosopher Marwan Najjar commented on the book.
According to information sent by Khatlab right after the launching, the writer captivated the audience at the fair. Chalita told them that he loves Lebanon because of his father, who always talked about it at home, and that he considers this Arabic edition a special one since it’s published in the language of his ancestors.
In the trip to Lebanon, the writer visited the region of Baakafra, north of the country, the land that his paternal family left to come to Brazil. At the place, he met with a relative that carried with her pictures of the marriage of Chalita’s parents. “It was very ncie”, said the author about the meeting. Chalita’s father was born in Brazil but is the son of Lebanese parents. Chalita’s mother, with Issaac as her last name, is Syrian and moved to Brazil while still young. In Lebanon, the politician and writer had other meetings and events, among them the visit to Usek and meeting with local authorities.
Chalita published his first book when he was 12 and has over 70 titles under his belt. Currently the municipal secretary of Education of São Paulo, Chalita started his political career at age 19 and holds PhDs in Philosophy of Law and Communication and Semiotics. He teaches classes at universities and is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters and of the São Paulo State Academy of Letters.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum & Sérgio Kakitani
