In a shocking turn of events, Kamel Daoud, recipient of France's prestigious Goncourt prize for his novel "Houris," is facing a lawsuit in Algeria for allegedly appropriating the life story of a patient of his wife, psychiatrist Aicha Dahdouh. The novel, which explores the devastating impact of Algeria's civil war in the 1990s, features a heroine named Fajr who echoes the tumultuous past of Saada Arbane, a civil war survivor.
Arbane, a woman whose family was massacred during an Islamist militant attack that left her severely injured, publicly accused Daoud of using her narrative without consent. She asserts that many elements of the character Fajr's existence—such as having a speaking tube and the associated scars—are drawn from her own life experiences shared during psychiatric sessions with Dahdouh beginning in 2015.
The legal action initiated by Arbane includes two separate lawsuits—one citing breaches of medical confidentiality and another referencing a law that prohibits the exploitation of national tragedy narratives within Algeria. This law has led to the banning of "Houris" in Algeria, restricting Daoud's ability to publish work that sheds light on the civil war.
Daoud, who now resides in Paris, has yet to respond to these allegations. However, his publisher, Antoine Gallimard, defended him, stating that while the book may reflect historical events, its characters and storyline remain entirely fictional. The controversy surrounding Daoud's win comes amid rising tensions between Algeria and France, tied to President Emmanuel Macron's recent foreign policy moves regarding Moroccan sovereignty.
As the situation unfolds, an additional layer of concern arises with reports of another Algerian writer, Boualel Sansal, reportedly missing in Algeria since returning from France, prompting fears of possible government persecution against dissenting voices within the literary community.
