Hisham Matar is an American-born British-Libyan novelist, essayist, and memoirist. His debut novel In the Country of Men was shortlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize, and his memoir of the search for his father, The Return, won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography and several other awards. Matar's essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Guardian, The New York Times, and many other publications. He has also written several other novels.
Original publication
2026
Average rating
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Opening Excerpt
From the storyMy life in London, the life I had cobbled together with the barest of routines, grew thin and unconvincing. It now seldom felt real.
Story Vibe & Style Profile
Emotional Weight
3.7 / 5
Bittersweet
Narrative Pacing
1.2 / 5
Contemplative
Literary Style
2.2 / 5
Clear Realism
Speculative / Reality
1.4 / 5
Realistic / Mimetic
Appearances
The New Yorker
The New Yorker September 14, 2026 · Sep 14, 2026
About the Author
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