Quote by Hisham Matar: “To be deprived of memory is to be deprived of life.”

This powerful statement argues that our memories are essential to our very existence and sense of self. It implies that without the ability to recall our past, experiences, and connections, we lose a fundamental part of what makes us human and alive, becoming mere shells.

From 'The Return,' this quote underscores the crucial role of memory in shaping identity, especially for individuals and nations grappling with suppressed histories. Matar highlights how authoritarian regimes attempt to erase collective memory, mirroring the personal devastation of losing one's past.

Libyan-British novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2017 for The Return, a memoir about searching for his father who disappeared into Gaddafi's prisons. His novel In the Country of Men was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2006.