Khouri admits lies in best-seller

Norma Khouri has admitted she did not tell the truth about her background and falsified elements of her controversial book Forbidden Love, but still denies the book is a work of fiction.

The Jordanian-born author, who is now based at Bribie Island, spoke for the first time last night about the book she touted as a recollection of her life in Jordan and the Islamic honour killing of a friend. The book was branded a fraud in a newspaper article last month.

Forbidden Love was withdrawn permanently from shelves by publisher Random House earlier this month because it was not satisfied with documents tendered by Khouri in defence of her story.

In an interview with A Current Affair that was taped on Saturday, with Khouri appearing via satellite from Chicago, the 34-year-old said that while she had changed “names, dates, locations and characterisations” in the book, including that of the protagonist Dalia, the book was not a work of fiction.

“It is a true story,” she said.

“I will not write it as a novel or a fiction book because she existed and she was killed.”

Faced with questions about her own background, which came under scrutiny when it was revealed she did not grow up in Jordan but moved to Chicago when she was three, Khouri countered that she lived in Jordan for a “minimum of 12 years” but had also resided in Chicago and Greece.

She apologised to readers of the book, the publisher and book agents for not telling the truth about her background but claimed it was for her own safety.

She said she altered facts and changed the story of her background to protect herself and her family from retribution from male relatives, but denied she lied.

She said she planned to return to Australia but would only stay if she felt it was safe for herself and her children.

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