Bye bye Babylon

Bye bye Babylon is a poignant graphic memoir by Lebanese illustrator and author Lamia Ziadé, first published in 2010. It serves as a visual chronicle of the author’s childhood in Beirut during the onset of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975. Ziadé uses the memoir to document a vanishing world, juxtaposing the innocence of her upbringing—filled with consumer goods, fashion, and pop culture references from the West—against the encroaching reality of political upheaval and military conflict.

The book’s design is distinct for its vibrant, collage-like aesthetic, which reflects Ziadé’s background in graphic design and illustration. By cataloging the colorful ephemera of 1970s Beirut, she creates a bittersweet inventory of a cosmopolitan city caught in transition. Upon its release, the work was widely praised by critics for its unique approach to memoir, utilizing visual storytelling to preserve cultural memory and personal history in the face of widespread trauma.