The Algiers International Book Fair opened its doors this week without inviting Kamel Daoud, the author recently awarded the 2024 Goncourt Prize for his novel “Houris”. This choice of exclusion by the author and his French publisher Gallimard says a lot about the situation of culture and intellectuals in Algeria, especially since Daoud’s award-winning book poignantly addresses the Algerian civil war of the 1990s. 1990, a sensitive and still taboo period in the country.
The Algiers International Book Fair, which opened this week, chose not to invite Kamel Daoud, the author of the novel “Houris”, recently crowned with the prestigious Prix Goncourt 2024.
The failure to invite Daoud to take part in this event is all the more significant since his latest book, *Houris* (Virgins), deals with the Algerian civil war of the 1990s, a particularly painful and controversial period. The novel explores the consequences of this decade of violence, the rise of Islamism and military repression, a subject which remains taboo for the Algerian authorities.
“As one of the largest book fairs in the Arab world opens on Wednesday in Algeria, an absence is noticeable. French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud, who won France’s most prestigious literary prize earlier this week, was not invited to this year’s event.writes the Associated Press in this regard. “This year’s Goncourt Prize winner and his French publisher Gallimard – a regular attendee – are among those who will not be welcomed at the Algiers International Book Fair. The exclusion of several prominent authors and publishers from this year’s protest reflects the limits placed on freedom of expression in Algeria.underlines the AP.
“Mr. Daoud’s novels and their subject matter often polarize opinions both in France, where he lives, and in Algeria, where he was born. His third novel, Houris, won the Goncourt Prize, centers on the memories of the victims of the “black decade” in Algeria. After the Islamists’ victory in the first round of the 1990 legislative elections, Algeria descended into civil war after the army-backed government canceled the second round.comments the AP, adding that “although memories of this story are omnipresent, Houris will not be among the more than 300,000 titles available at the book fair, which is marketed under the slogan “Read to Triumph” and is billed as having a particular focus on history”.
Thus, and by excluding Kamel Daoud, the Algerian regime reaffirms its desire to control the representation of its history and to prevent the circulation of dissident voices. “Houris”, which openly criticizes the country’s recent past, is therefore not available on the shelves of the fair. This exclusion once again illustrates the censorship exercised by the Algerian regime towards those who choose to confront history and question official narratives.
