In his latest book, ‘A Stranger in Your Own City: Travels in the Middle East’s Long War’, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad revisits 20 years of his reports from Iraq and the Middle East. Scattered throughout are his pen-and-ink drawings depicting street and battle scenes. With a background as an architect, his move into journalism was accidental as he made his way through Baghdad in the days following the United States’ invasion and hitched a ride with a journalist who hired him as a translator. His reports for the Guardian brought the reader into the heart of the war.
What was it like reviewing 20 years of reporting on Iraq for your book?