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Modern Algerian Lit



What is Algerian literature and who are the authors who are, and have been, building it since before independence?

However difficult Algerian literature might be to define, it isn't just about the Boualem Sansal, Yasmina Khadra, Amin Zaoui and Waciny Laaredj of this world. It is being written by a large number of authors, both women and men, whose works are often not getting any visibility, in Algeria or abroad.

In order to leave a trace of what is currently getting published in Algeria, to encourage reading these works, and to keep a record of what has been published since independence, I have started the below list. 

The list is organised according to authors' names alphabetically ordered, with their most recent books appearing first. Similarly to this blog's Algerian Women Writers page, this list continually gets updated. If you are an Algerian author and would like to be added to the list, get in touch and send me your book. If you are a reader and would like to suggest any authors, do get in touch and send your suggestions.





Chawki Amari





L'ane mort

Review in English here




Apres-Demain















 Nationale 1

Review in English here






















Salim Bachi


Le grand frere (the big brother)
StoryLab

(short story)
















Rachid Bouxerroub
Tislit n ughanim [Bride of Reeds]

El Amel eds, 2015


Discussion with the author in English here

















Anouar Benmalek



Fils du Sheol (Son of She'ol)
Casbah, 2015

















Abdel Hafed Benotman


Les forcenes
Rivages Noir

















Tahar Djaout #CLASSIC

Les vigiles

















Abdelkader Djemai

 

Memoires de negre
ENAL eds, 1991 (in France, published by Points eds)



















Ryad Girod



La fin qui nous attend (2015)



Review in Fr here

Review-express in EN here 
















Ravissements
Barzakh, 2009

Review in French here
















Malek Haddad #CLASSIC





Mohamed Kacimi

Bouqala (texte by Mohamed Kacimi, illustrations by Rachid Koreichi)
2016














Mansour Kedidir
La nuit la plus longue
Apic, 2015


















Yasmina Khadra
La derniere nuit du Rais (FR version)
The Last Night of the Dictator (EN version)





















Waciny Laaredj

 


2084, The story of the Last Arab





































Amara Lakhous

 Dispute over a very Italian Piglet
















Amid Lartane


(The Flight of the Green Faulcon)
Metaille eds,   



 Review-express in French















Ali Malek

Ali Malek
Le Chien de Titanic (The dog of Titanic)
Barzakh, 2006

















Mouloud Mammeri  #CLASSIC



La traversee

re-edited by Dar El Othmania

















Le sommeil du juste

re-edited by Dar El Othmania
































Ahcene Mariche #POETRY













































Djamel Mati



Yoko et les gens du Barzakh
Chihab, 2016






























Brahim Metiba


Ma mere et moi
Mauconduit eds, 2015

Won the Prix littéraire Beur FM Méditerranée 2016.

















Badr'Eddine Mili
Les abysses de la passion maudite

Chihab, 2015
















 Rachid Mimouni #CLASSIC























































































 

















  
































Sofiane Mokhnesh
























Akli Tadjer


Les Thermes du Paradis

Review-express in English here 


















Djamel Eddine Taleb
Mim editions, 2015


Review-express in French here




















Habib Tengour
Le Maitre de l'heure (the Master of Time)

Poetry













Boualem Sansal
2084 La Fin du Monde

Review in English here













Habib Sayah












Boufateh Sebgag



Incomplete Meetings
[ لقاء لم يكتمل]


Description in French here














Tahar Wattar






























Miloud Yabrir
جنوب الملح  (South of Salt)


Review-express in English here
















Smail Yabrir










































 Amin Zaoui























Sommeil du Mimosa













Sonate des Loups
























Contemporary and young (relatively) authors 

Samir Qasimi (1974-) (Loss Permit and A Great Day to Die (Youm Ra’ih lilmout, 2009) Profile on IFPAF 


Amara Lakhous (1970-) - Clash of Civilisation Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio. (See his website).

Bahia Kiared

Aziz Chouaki - the Star of Algiers (trans. 2005)

Chawki Amari (1964-) - Nationale 1 (2007)

Nina Bouraoui - Mes mauvaises Pensées (2005). (Bibliography)




Born in the 1950s

-Writing in Arabic-

Amine Zaoui (1956-) (publishes in Arabic and French)

Waciny Al-Aredj (1954-)

Bashir Mufti - see a Q&A with Mufti.

Ahlem Mostaghanemi (1953-) - (bibliography)  

Hamid Grine (1954-) - (writes in Arabic and in French)


-Writing in French-

Anouar Benmalek (1956-) - list of his books here

Amine Zaoui (1956-) - (publishes in Arabic and French).

Yasmina Khadra (1955-)

Tahar Djaout (1954-1993) - list of his books here



Born in the 1940s

-Writing in Arabic-

Merzak Bagtache (1945-) - see list of his novels here (see a Q&A with Bagtache)

 
-Writing in French-

Boualem Sansal (1949-)

Rachid Mimouni (1945-1995)

Fatima Gallaire, (1944-) - playright

Youcef Sebti (1943-1993) - poet

Rachid Boudjedra (1941-)



Born in the 30s

-Writing in Arabic-

Tahar Wattar (1936-2010).


-Writing in French-

Malek Alloula (1937-)

Assia Djebar (1936-2015) - (real name Fatma-Zohra Imalayène) profile here

Fadela M’Rabet (1936-)

Colette Anna Melki (1931-1966)



FIRST GENERATION OF NOVELISTS

Ahmed Rida Houhou (1911-1956) - father of the first Algerian novel (published in 1947). [in Arabic]
Mouloud Feraoun (1913-1962) [in French]
 
Mouloud Mammeri (1917-1989). [in French]
 
Mohammed Dib (1920-2003) - author of the awesome trilogy. Perhaps the only Algerian author to have written a trilogy? [in French]
 
Abdelhamid Benhedouga (1925-1996) - considered to have written the first true Algerian novel: Le vent du sud, Rih el Djnoub))
 
Jean Senac (1926–1962) - Poet [in French]
 
Malek Haddad (1927-1978) - poet and novelist. [in French]
 
Kateb Yacine (1929-1989) - super star. [in French]

Jean Amrouche (1906-1962) and Taos Amrouche (1913-1976) - you can find out a lot about both Jean and Taos from the blog of journalist Hocine Lamriben. [Jean wrote in French, Taos wrote in French and composed her songs in Kabyle]


Zekri Cheikh (Moufdi Zakaria) (1908-1977) – poet, author of Qassaman. [in Arabic]






CLASSICS


Apuleius (c. 124- c. 170 AD) - The Golden Ass (Metamorphoses) - the first Algerian novel in the history of novels ! Written in Latin. 

Si Muhand U M'hand (1848-1905) - poet [in Kabyle]


(under construction)

Classic novels in Algerian literature :


Ahmed Rida Houhou (1911-1956) - father of the first Algerian novel (published in 1947). [wrote in Arabic]

Tahar Wattar - El Laz (The Ace, 1974), El Zilzal (Earthquake, 1974) [wrote in Arabic]

Abdelhamid Benhadouga - Le Vent du Sud (The South Wind) (1971) [wrote in Arabic]

Rachid Mimouni (1945-1995) - Tombéza (1984) [wrote in French]

Assia Djebar (1936-2015) - (real name Fatma-Zohra Imalayène) profile here
[wrote in French]

Kateb Yacine (1929-1989) - super star - see his bibliography here [wrote in French]

Apuleius (c. 124- c. 170 AD) - The Golden Ass (Metamorphoses) - the first Algerian novel in the history of novels ! [Wrote in in Latin!] 

Si Muhand U M'hand (1848-1905) - poet [wrote in Kabyle]


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