Thursday, December 5, the association of Friends of the Place aux Herbes bookstore welcomed the Goncourt Kamel Daoud Prize to L’Ombrière for his latest novel. Houris which talks about the civil war in Algeria, which remains completely taboo.
The journalist, essayist novelist born in Algeria was naturalized French in 2020. Vincent Nouzille, who moderated the meeting, introduced him by saying: “You have left an impression several times with your writings.”
“I’m always moved to see that people give importance to a writer. It’s really nice to see this room full and I tell myself that I have to be a good writer for a few more years even if Algerian writers are going through difficult times and they are not the only ones”, said the writer.
Houris represents the seventy-two virgins who would await the martyrs after death.
“When the announcement was made, I thought, but at what cost?”
“They would be the most beautiful women and I wanted the Houris to be there, alive with us (our mothers, our wives…).” Regarding the Goncourt Prize, he explains: “At the announcement I felt immense joy, but immediately I thought: but at what cost? I told myself that they were not going to forgive me for this international visibility. There is a stake in taking cultural power that they are succeeding in. They have taken away our Books in Algeria. They have already put their hands on the justice system, the media and the school. I never respond to the regime otherwise it adds fuel. the fire. There is incredible hysteria. around this book since its release in August There are four to five debates per day and it always starts with “I haven’t read the book but…” On the other hand, there is a speaking out and. a consciousness that rises.”
When we ask him the difference between the Arabic and Algerian languages, he responds playfully: “If we talk about kissing, the Arabic language forbids, the French language explains how to do it and the Algerian language says it doesn’t know.” He concluded the meeting with these words: “I refuse to despair because otherwise, what am I going to do with the rest of my life?”
Midi Libre correspondent: 06 84 21 23 91
Books
