Algerian Author's Award-Winning Novel Highlights Civil War Silence

Despite winning France's prestigious Goncourt award, Algerian author Kamel Daoud's novel "Houris" faces silence in Algeria due to political constraints and censorship surrounding the country's civil war history.

Algerian author Kamel Daoud has made history by winning France’s esteemed literary accolade, the Goncourt, for his poignant novel "Houris," centered on the horrific Algerian civil war of the 1990s. This turbulent decade saw an estimated death toll of 200,000, with massacres attributed to Islamist groups and the military. The story follows Fajr, a survivor marked by violence and trauma, who bears a surgically fashioned smile-like scar. Confined to conveying her experiences through a speaking tube, she shares her narrative with the unborn child she carries.

The Goncourt committee hailed Daoud's work as essential in representing the ordeal of Algiers’ dark past, particularly the experiences of women. They emphasized the ability of literature to craft an alternative route for collective memory, diverging from mere historical accounts. However, a paradox looms over this literary triumph, as Daoud's success is largely unacknowledged within Algeria itself. With no Algerian publisher willing to produce "Houris," and the French publisher Gallimard banned from the Algiers Book Fair, news of the award has been conspicuously absent from local media.

Moreover, the author, who currently resides in Paris, risks facing legal repercussions for his reflections on the civil war due to a 2005 law that punishes those seen as exploiting the nation's traumatic past. Daoud highlighted this chilling reality, noting that narratives of the civil war, a profound national trauma, remain unaddressed in Algerian educational institutions.

He recounted his harrowing experiences as a journalist during this period, revealing a grim routine where he counted bodies only to have his figures manipulated by authorities. Despite his criticism of the government and its narrative control, Daoud aims for his book to prompt vital discussions about Algeria’s past and the ongoing struggles for women’s rights.

Daoud, who has previously authored successful works like "Meursault Investigation," feels he could only craft "Houris" after moving to France to escape the oppressive political environment. He champions literary freedom, describing France as a sanctuary for writers. His media presence remains polarizing in Algeria, where he is both lauded as a genius and condemned as a traitor.

In his post-award comments, Daoud expressed gratitude for the creative freedom found in France, succinctly noting that a writer needs just a table, a chair, and the right environment to produce work. Daoud hopes that "Houris" will inspire deeper introspection among Algerians regarding their complex history, rather than a simplistic glorification of isolated events.