Writer Kamel Daoud awarded the Goncourt Prize for his novel on the massacres of the “black decade” in Algeria

The ten Goncourt Prize jurors voted this Monday, November 4 to choose the winner of the most prestigious French literary prize. And their choice fell on Kamel Daoud, for his novel “Houris” (ed. Gallimard), who had already won the Goncourt for first novel in 2014 for “Meursault, contre-investigation”.

This year, he won against the three other finalists: Gaël Faye, with “Jacaranda” (ed. Grasset), Sandrine Collette, with “Madelaine avant l’aube” (ed. JC Lattès) and Hélène Gaudy, with “Archipels” (ed. de L’Olivier).

The awarding of the most famous French literary prize to Kamel Daoud’s novel places in the spotlight the tragedy of the “black decade” (1992-2002) in Algeria, a period over which the regime in power imposed total silence. A real lead weighted down by a law prohibiting the slightest mention of this dark episode in the history of the country, now considered a “crime” punishable by a heavy prison sentence.

A spotlight on the Algerian “black decade”

And for good reason, many of the protagonists of the Algerian “black decade”, having committed war crimes, today occupy high positions at the top of the regime. This is particularly the case of General Saïd Chengriha, chief of staff of the Algerian army, or even of General Abdelkader Haddad, alias Nacer El Djen, the head of Algerian internal security.

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It is therefore not surprising that the Algerian regime was so apprehensive that Kamel Daoud’s novel would be crowned with the Goncourt Prize, going so far as to lead a smear campaign against its author, and even against Tahar Ben Jelloun, accused, in as a member of the Goncourt Academy, to manipulate his peers to harm Algeria. The Algerian authorities have also decided to prohibit Gallimard Editions, which publish the novel, from any presence at the Algiers International Book Fair, scheduled for November 6 to 16.

It must be said that the prestigious award is synonymous with immense media coverage which guarantees the novel a best-seller status, paving the way for numerous translations throughout the world. The recognition of the Franco-Algerian writer, and especially that of his book “Houris”, will undoubtedly have the effect of an earthquake in the eastern neighbor.