For a Frenchman of Lebanese origin like Amin Maalouf to become the Permanent Secretary of the French Academy is an unparalleled honor, a privilege that lasts until his demise or resignation. This holds special significance, especially with his appointment coinciding with a Culture Minister named Rima Abdel Malek, also of Lebanese descent

My country is a word, my words are my country. Lebanese men and women have scripted the saga of their homeland in languages of the foreign lands they've settled in. From village chronicles to urban landscapes, from seas to ships that carried their dreams to distant shores, they've painted Lebanon in shades mirroring their diasporic souls. Amin Maalouf is one such figure who spun the tales of this miniature nation in a foreign tongue while holding it aloft, even making his way into the hallowed halls of the French Academy. Founded in 1635, this revered institution holds the responsibility of defining and nurturing the French language, bearing deep cultural imprints in history.

For a Frenchman of Lebanese origin like Amin Maalouf to become the Permanent Secretary of the French Academy is an unparalleled honor, a privilege that lasts until his demise or resignation. This holds special significance, especially with his appointment coinciding with a Culture Minister named Rima Abdel Malek, also of Lebanese descent, in office. It's a confluence of destinies showing how Lebanon, despite its geographical diminutiveness, is deeply rooted in the hearts of its dispersed sons and daughters and how they spread and nurture it elsewhere, like an undying cedar tree.

Amin Maalouf, from Kfarhbeb in Mount Lebanon, continues the familial tradition initiated in 1869 by Issa Iskandar Maalouf, the historian and journalist whose journal "Al-Safa" featured numerous articles. Chosen in 1933 among the 20 founders of the Arabic Language College in Cairo, by 1936, he became a member of the "Academy of History and Literature" in Niterói, the capital of Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil. The Maalouf family, with Rachid Maalouf, Amin's father, continued the Al-Safa journal from 1962 to 1969. Today, the Al-Safa website celebrates Amin Maalouf.

From Gibran Khalil Gibran to Mikhail Naimy and Amin Al-Rihani, numerous Lebanese writers have left an indelible mark on global literature. Lebanese figures, from a small nation, have inspired entire countries, with their writings studied in universities worldwide.

In today's journalistic world, as we write, we consider our readers, our audience – we write for them. Did Amin Maalouf and other overseas Lebanese writers of yore ponder their readership? Did Maalouf ever imagine that his novel about a stone named Tanyous would create such a fervor? Did he write for the French audience to weave tales of the enchanting East and its customs, or did he write for us here, describing how he perceived us from across the sea, relating our everyday from a Western lens? Did he contrast his birthplace with his adopted homeland? Can literary creation spring from genetic heritage? While Maalouf's literature is French, what of his authorial identity? Would he have attained the same fame had he remained in Lebanon, walking in his journalist father's footsteps? Had the 1975 war not forced him out of Lebanon, would we be reading "In the Name of Identity"? Would he have wrestled with these internal conflicts over identity and belonging, exploding them onto the literary canvas?

Today, we celebrate this literary accomplishment, taking pride as if we contributed. We seek a glimmer typically found beyond our borders, away from our daily grind. Whenever a Lebanese or Lebanese descendant achieves something, we rush to claim them. Some argue it's due to the dearth of local accomplishments given the numerous disappointments and tragedies we've weathered. Lebanese abroad achieve greatly, excel in their endeavors, and become figures of admiration – but as individuals. Perhaps we can't achieve much as groups since we haven't reached a national unity phase. But when we become a united entity, not just in anthem, Amin Maalouf will be even prouder of us for today's achievements.