HISHAM MATAR (b.1970)
In the Country of Men. London: Viking, 2006.
First edition of Matar’s poignant portrayal of childhood under a totalitarian state, signed on the title and illustrated by the author with a pen and ink and watercolour vignette. In the Country of Men, the author’s Man Booker Prize-shortlisted debut novel, centres on the life of nine-year-old Suleiman in Tripoli under Gaddafi’s regime. On the title page, the author has provided a touching illustration of a window onto a coastal scene, echoing the frequent sensual descriptions of the sea throughout the novel. It is in fact almost a direct depiction of a description that occurs early on in the text: ‘I turned towards the sea, the shining turquoise sea beyond the square […] The sky, the sun and the sea were painted by God in colours we could all point at and say the sea is turquoise, the sun banana, the sky blue.’ A photograph loosely inserted into the volume shows the author’s desk, including the present volume and a crystal given to him by his wife which is always with him as he writes. The outline of the crystal was used to frame Matar’s illustration on the title.

Octavo. Original red boards, spine lettered in gilt, pictorial dust jacket.

Buyer’s premium is payable, with a significant portion donated by Christie’s to English PEN, but note that no VAT is payable on hammer price or buyer’s premium.
-