In brief
Saada Arbane, a survivor of Algeria's civil war, claims that Kamel Daoud's award-winning novel "Houris" is based on her life, leading to two lawsuits against the author and his wife over allegations of literary theft and violation of confidentiality.
Kamel Daoud, the acclaimed Algerian author who recently won France's esteemed Goncourt prize for his novel "Houris," is embroiled in controversy as a woman from Algeria accuses him of using her life story without her consent. Saada Arbane, who survived a brutal attack during the civil war in the 1990s, claims that the heroine of Daoud's book, Fajr, closely mirrors her own traumatic experiences, which she shared during psychiatric sessions with Daoud's wife, Aicha Dahdouh.Arbane asserts that her harrowing experiences, including communication through a speaking tube after being attacked, are reflected in Fajr's character. She recalls an invitation to meet Daoud three years prior but declined to allow the author to portray her life in his work. "It’s my life. It’s my past. He had no right to chuck me out like that," Arbane stated on Algerian television.Legal action has been initiated against both Daoud and his wife, with one lawsuit citing breach of medical confidentiality and another referencing a law restricting the narration of civil war experiences. This law has restricted public discourse about Algeria's traumatic past and has contributed to the banning of "Houris" in the author's home country.Daoud, who relocated to Paris and now holds French citizenship, has received mixed reactions in Algeria, where he is viewed by some as a traitor to national narratives. While Daoud has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit, his publisher, Antoine Gallimard, defended the novel, claiming its characters and storyline are purely fictional despite being inspired by real events. In addition to the ongoing tensions surrounding the lawsuit, the situation is set against a backdrop of deteriorating relations between Algeria and France, particularly after French President Emmanuel Macron's recognition of Moroccan claims over Western Sahara. Meanwhile, Boualem Sansal, another prominent Algerian writer, has reportedly gone missing in Algeria, heightening concerns for artists critical of the Algerian regime.
