São Paulo – Why not translate a book on the history of Lebanon into Portuguese and release it in Brazil? The anthropologist Maria Dulce Eddé had never thought about it until her Lebanese friends, the authors of “Illustrated History of Lebanon” suggested she publish the book in Brazil. She took on the challenge, and past September the book made its debut, as did its publishing house: Eddé Editora.
“Why not publish it in Portuguese, since it had already come out in English, French and Arabic, and since Brazil is home to lots of Lebanese descendants? I was psyched with the idea of being able to publish a quality book, and very happy to be able to spread knowledge about the history of the country of my ancestors,” Eddé told ANBA.
The book was written in 1987 by the journalists Nayla de Freige and Maria Saad, with illustrations by Fadlallah Dagher. It was originally released in French and then translated into Arabic and English. “Illustrated History of Lebanon” retraces the country’s trajectory since the Neanderthal man lived there, all the way to 2006, in a version with updates by the authors. Thus, the book covers pivotal points in the country’s history, such as the French mandate in the 1920s, the independence in 1943, the complex links between Israeli-Palestinian relations and the fact that there are Palestinians living in Lebanese territory.
Maria is the granddaughter of a former Lebanese president, Émile Eddé, who remained in office from 1936 to 1941, and spent her childhood and youth between São Paulo and Lebanon’s capital Beirut. She said the book can appeal not only to the large Lebanese community in São Paulo, but also to descendants from other Arab countries who have made Brazil their home. According to her, the book launch in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, which is home to a numerous Arab community, was a “great success.”
“This book has a great quality, the fact that demand for it remains constant over time. As new generations come, there will be renewed interest in this work. But even though the book is initially targeted at the Lebanese, we must note that the whole Middle East, as the cradle of civilization, shares the same past, therefore it can spark interest from anyone, at any age, who’s interested in history,” Maria said.
According to the editor, the book’s target audience is adults. However, the idea of writing it came up after the son of one of the authors, as a child, wanted to learn more about Lebanon. Maria claims "Illustrated History of Lebanon" can also be read by children and teenagers. “I believe it can be used as a supplemental reading at schools, because it has been the subject of storytelling sessions at schools, where it was widely successful among young students,” he said.
“Illustrated History of Lebanon” is the first, but not the only title of the new publisher. Two other books are set to hit bookstores over the next few days: “Tito, o papagaio” (Tito, the parrot), written by Hilda Eddé, who is Maria Dulce’s mother, and “O Oásis da Paz” (The Oasis of Peace), by the Lebanese poet Mikhail Naimy. A biography is slated for release this year as well. Maria said the publisher’s goal is to publicize work that helps bring East and West together, but “not necessarily so.”
Illustrated History of Lebanon
Authors: Nayla de Freige and Maria Saad
Illustrations: Fadlallah Dagher
Publisher: Edde Editora
Price: BRL 65
Pages: 64
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
