No Friend but the Mountains
Writing From Manus Prison
Book - 2018
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3-2-1… Mountains
Librarians recommend 3 fiction titles, 2 non-fiction titles, and 1 movie to challenge and inspire in time for International Mountain Day 2019. Fiction The Rich Man's House by Andrew McGahan What if Early in our region's European history, a mountain was discovered in the Southern Ocean that dwarfs Everest in every way? What happens? This is an exploration of progressive mountaineering, a… (more)
Behrouz Boochani: Writing from Manus Island, Review – WORD Christchurch
The hardest thing about writing about this event is doing this justice. 1,300 people in the audience, many more watching over the internet, and John Campbell. There was a tension that was palpable in the room as people understood the severity of the subject being discussed. Here before us, was a man - a journalist - who had spent the last six years of his life detained without cause on… (more)
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From Library Staff
From Library Staff
ChristchurchLib
Dec 18, 2020
A remarkable first-hand account of the traumas inflicted on refugees at Manus Island Detention Centre. Incredibly, this story was written and relayed through thousands of WhatsApp messages. This is a damning look at Australia’s border control policies, which should be a source of national shame f... Read More »
Kurdish Journalist Behrouz Boochani was illegally detained on Manus Island after attempting to seek political asylum in Australia. This extraordinary book was written from his incarceration, painstakingly sent out via WhatsApp, and weaving in stories of his past, his exile, and his life during im... Read More »
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Add a CommentLet me say first, that I am grateful for this book. It is an incredibly brave piece, and a valuable record of life in deplorable conditions. I was so moved by the poetic nature of this work which is at once philosophical and painstakingly concrete.
I admit that I found Boochani's writing troubling at times. I was confused in the moments he writes as though he can speak for all prisoners or knows what they are thinking. At times, Boochani also demonstrates his difference from other prisoners in a way that can be read as patronizing or proud though he is careful to point out that he is not being proud (235). I also found some of Boochani's descriptions of women really problematic.
That said, this book is literary, poetic, and a valuable record of what it means to be imprisoned in an immigrant detention centre under inhumane conditions.
A deeply reflective narrative of escape and the experiences of being close to despair and hope, life and death. Intense. Highlights the physical and psychological impact of the monotony and isolation of life imprisoned on Manus. Darkness of captors when there is no humanity. Quite a slow intense read.
This book is simply astounding on all levels - the Manus setting, circumstances of publication and the extremely powerful and poetic writing make it a very special work. I would advise skipping the rather academic and conceptual translator's intro - and there's another essay at the end anyway. It is a daunting lead-in. Just start reading the main body.
Winner of Australia's Victorian Prize for literature, although the author is not allowed to accept the prize in person.