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A few months after the publication of La blessure qui guérit (The Wound That Heals) (Éditions Erick Bonnier), Rony Mecattaf returns to share his story of resilience born from the Beirut port tragedy. He will meet readers for a book signing on Thursday, October 23, from 4:30 to 7:00 PM at Café Internazionale, Rue d’Arménie, Mar Mikhael, as part of the Beirut Livres event.
La blessure qui guérit, published a few months ago by Éditions Erick Bonnier, is already drawing attention. In this book, Rony Mecattaf, psychotherapist and a leading figure in Lebanon’s intellectual scene, recounts how the violence of the Beirut port explosion, which left him permanently scarred, became a path toward resilience. Far from being a simple testimony, his narrative explores how to heal both visible and invisible wounds — of body and soul — blending introspection, spirituality, and therapeutic experience. As Lebanon continues to grapple with its own scars, the author is preparing to meet readers as part of the Beirut Livres festival.
Three key questions to the author open a window onto the story’s personal and collective resonance.
Did the publication of the book bring your healing process to a close, or did it reignite it?
"This healing process is a continuum, it does not really stop but takes on new forms over time. Some events stand out more than others as key milestones in this journey. Writing the book, and then seeing it published, are part of that. I am convinced there will be others."
Has your relationship with spiritual practices—shamanism, meditation, psychedelics—changed since then?
"A key element of this book is its nature as a form of self-revelation, at least regarding certain subjects. It is especially in this area that my relationship with the practices mentioned may have evolved, if only because I have spoken about them publicly and openly. While the way I experience them has not fundamentally changed, associating myself with them may have affected how some people perceive me."
Do you think this story could contribute, in some way, to Lebanon’s collective healing?
"This is a broad topic, and I do not have the arrogance to give my personal story universal significance. But it is true that within this collective tragedy there are countless individual stories, most of them untold. I have received messages from readers saying they recognized themselves, at least in part, in this text, and that touches me deeply. The fact, or the good fortune, that I was able to tell my story can, and I hope will, contribute to this national movement of healing."
Through his encounters and the messages he receives, the author comes to realize how the uniqueness of one person’s journey can resonate with that of an entire nation. Through literature, individual voices connect to the collective experience, never claiming to heal everything, but still offering a voice.
Meet the Author
Rony Mecattaf will be signing copies in Beirut as part of the Beirut Livres festival on Thursday, October 23, 2025, from 4:30 to 7:00 PM at Café Internazionale, Rue d’Arménie, Mar Mikhael. It will be an opportunity to share and exchange ideas about the book, published by Éditions Erick Bonnier, which has become, for many, an inner compass.
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