Algerian Author's Goncourt Win Highlights Silence Surrounding Civil War

Kamel Daoud's award-winning novel "Houris" addresses the harrowing experiences of women during Algeria's civil war in the 1990s. Despite its recognition in France, the book faces publishing bans and media silence in Algeria, reflecting ongoing tensions over the country's troubled history.

Kamel Daoud has made history as the first Algerian author to win France’s prestigious Goncourt literary prize, but his achievement underscores the ongoing silence that shrouds Algeria's traumatic civil war. His novel "Houris" offers a poignant look into the country’s "dark decade" of the 1990s, a period marked by extreme violence where an estimated 200,000 lives were lost due to clashes between the military and Islamist groups.

The novel follows the harrowing journey of Fajr (Dawn), a woman who survives a brutal attack by Islamist fighters and must narrate her painful past while carrying a future generation within her. The Goncourt committee praised the work for voicing the deep suffering experienced during this dark period, particularly highlighting the unique hardships faced by women in the crisis.

However, the irony remains that few Algerians will read Daoud's critically acclaimed work. It lacks an Algerian publisher and is being kept out of the Algiers Book Fair, while the national media has remained eerily quiet about Daoud’s success. The 2005 “reconciliation” law, designed to prevent the discussion of national grievances, casts a shadow over the author’s work, making it perilous to address the atrocities of the civil war openly.

Daoud, 54, who is now based in Paris, reflected on the consequences of this silence, revealing that his own daughter struggled to comprehend the country's painful past because it was omitted from the educational curriculum. With a background as a journalist during the civil war, Daoud recounts the fear and manipulation surrounding casualty figures which were often adjusted to suit governmental narratives.

His direct critiques of the Algerian government and the treatment of women have made him a polarizing figure in his homeland. While some consider him a traitor for criticizing Algeria’s political landscape and its post-colonial history, others hail him as a literary genius deserving of admiration.

During his post-award press conference, Daoud highlighted the liberties he enjoys in France, stating it is a refuge for writers seeking to explore harsh narratives. "To write you need three things. A table, a chair, and a country. I have all three," he stated, emphasizing the tragic reality of needing to leave his homeland in order to express his truth.

As "Houris" reaches new audiences in France, the silence within Algeria remains a stark reminder of the price of freedom—the ongoing battle to confront a collective history ought to serve as a call to action for the nation’s populace.