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LeMonde
7 days ago
- General
- LeMonde
Pierre Nora, historian who shaped intellectual life in France, dies at 93
Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in Paris's Left Bank, was his domain. Living at the corner of Place de Furstenberg, Pierre Nora was a few steps away from the Quai Conti, home to the Académie Française, of which he was a member, and from the headquarters of the prestigious Gallimard publishing house, where he oversaw collections in the social sciences and humanities. From this triangle, the founder of the journal Le Débat was a central figure in shaping intellectual life and debates in France. His elegant silhouette will no longer be seen crisscrossing these streets. Nora died on Monday, June 2, in Paris, at the age of 93, his family told Agence France-Presse. He had become an essential "public historian" whom journalists called upon for analysis of the evolution of national sentiment or the meaning of commemorations and national symbols. His name will remain above all associated with one of the most innovative historiographical undertakings of the past 40 years: Les Lieux de Mémoire, translated as Realms of Memory and Rethinking France, a monumental seven-volume project published between 1984 and 1993. As its director, he brought together 130 historians, including Raoul Girardet, Maurice Agulhon, Antoine Prost and Pascal Ory, notably to decipher the symbols of the French Republic (the tricolor flag, the Republican calendar, La Marseillaise) and its monuments (the Panthéon, town halls, war memorials).
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Algeria issues arrest warrants for writer Daoud: France
Kamel Daoud (Image: X/@daoud_kamel) Algeria has issued two arrest warrants for acclaimed French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud , the French foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as tensions surge between the two Algerian judiciary informed France of the move, foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said."We are monitoring and will continue to monitor developments in this situation closely," he said, stressing that Daoud was "a renowned and respected author" and that France was committed to freedom of 2024, Daoud won France's top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, for his novel "Houris", centred on Algeria's civil war between the government and Islamists in the novel, banned in Algeria, tells the story of a young woman who loses her voice when an Islamist cuts her throat as she witnesses her family being massacred during the November, the woman, Saada Arbane, told Algerian television, using a speech aid, that the main character in the book is based on her experiences. Daoud, 54, has denied his novel is based on Arbane's says she told her story during a course of treatment with a psychotherapist who became Daoud's wife in 2016. She has accused Daoud of then using the details narrated during their therapy sessions in his warrants were issued after Arbane filed a complaint against the writer with a court in is also suing Daoud in France for invasion of privacy.A preliminary hearing is set to take place in Paris on writer's publisher Gallimard has defended Daoud and his wife, saying they were the victims of orchestrated attacks following the banning of the book in have soared between France and Algeria, its former colony, especially after Paris last year recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.
France 24
07-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Algeria issues arrest warrants for writer Daoud amid escalating tensions with France
Kamel Daoud, winner of the 2024 Goncourt Prize for his novel "Houris", which is banned in Algeria, is now the subject of two international arrest warrants issued by Algerian authorities, French diplomats confirmed on Tuesday. The Algerian judiciary informed France of the move, foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. "We are monitoring and will continue to monitor developments in this situation closely," he said, stressing that Daoud was "a renowned and respected author" and that France was committed to freedom of expression. In 2024, Daoud won France 's top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, for his novel "Houris", centred on Algeria 's civil war between the government and Islamists in the 1990s. The novel, banned in Algeria, tells the story of a young woman who loses her voice when an Islamist cuts her throat as she witnesses her family being massacred during the war. In November, the woman, Saada Arbane, told Algerian television, using a speech aid, that the main character in the book is based on her experiences. Daoud, 54, has denied his novel is based on Arbane's life. Arbane says she told her story during a course of treatment with a psychotherapist who became Daoud's wife in 2016. She has accused Daoud of then using the details narrated during their therapy sessions in his book. The warrants were issued after Arbane filed a complaint against the writer with a court in Algeria. Arbane is also suing Daoud in France for invasion of privacy. A preliminary hearing is set to take place in Paris on Wednesday. The writer's publisher Gallimard has defended Daoud and his wife, saying they were the victims of orchestrated attacks following the banning of the book in Algeria. Tensions have soared between France and Algeria, its former colony, especially after Paris last year recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.
Ya Biladi
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Ya Biladi
The program of Moroccan writers at Paris Book Festival 2025
The Grand Palais will host the fourth edition of the Paris Book Festival from April 11 to 13, 2025. This year, Morocco will be the guest of honor, with a strong presence of national and dual-national authors—both emerging and established—as well as scholars and researchers. For the organizers, the aim is to «rekindle fraternal ties here and elsewhere, across the seas, in an international context where memories and imaginations are contested». According to Pierre-Yves Bérenguer, the festival's general director, the Kingdom will showcase «the richness of its history and culture at the crossroads of Mediterranean civilizations». Morocco's pavilion will occupy a central place at the festival, including a conference space that will host authors and researchers throughout the three-day event. On Friday, April 11, the pavilion will feature a session with Asma Lamrabet, who will present her book Islam and Fundamental Freedoms: For a Universal Ethic (ed. En toutes lettres). A member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Lamrabet will also participate in a thematic roundtable titled Moroccan Heritage through the Lens of its Pluralism – Being Moroccan: An Open Citizenship. Among the other featured participants are Monique Elgrichi, communications expert and CEO of the Mosaïk group; Ahmed Boukous, rector of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM); and Driss El Yazami, president of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME). A Tribute to Writers Past and Present The program Glimpses of Committed Writing will pay tribute to the late Driss Chraïbi, marking the 70th anniversary of his novel Les Boucs, one of the most poignant literary works on immigration and North African laborers in France. The event will include contributions from Kebir Mustapha Ammi (In Search of Glitter Faraday, Tantara), Zineb Mekouar (Remember the Bees, Gallimard), and Sheena Chraïbi, the late author's wife. A theatrical performance titled Harems, based on the works of Fatéma Mernissi, will be staged by actresses Amal Ayouch and Sanae Assif. Directed by Anne-Laure Liégeois, the performance will blend text, image, and music to explore gender dynamics in the Muslim world with Mernissi's signature humor and insight. On Saturday, April 12, the pavilion will host a discussion with Leïla Slimani on her book I Will Take the Fire (Gallimard). Another roundtable, Morocco, an Atlantic Destiny: Morocco–France, an Ocean Shared, will feature Abdallah Saaf (professor and director of the Center for Studies and Research in Social Sciences), Driss Guerraoui (president of the Open University of Dakhla), and Alain Juillet (honorary president of the Academy of Economic Intelligence). Writer and educator Driss Jaydane will present his novel Moses of Casa (Les Avrils). As part of the Glimpses of Committed Writing series, a tribute will also be paid to Edmond Amran El Maleh. The discussion will feature royal advisor André Azoulay (president of the Essaouira-Mogador Association Foundation), researcher Mohamed Tozy, and filmmaker Simone Bitton, author of a biographical documentary on El Maleh. Visual Storytelling and New Generations The initiative Writing Between Two Shores: Khaliya 3, from Here and Elsewhere will highlight the namesake comic book project, a creative bridge between cultures and generations. The third edition of this project brought together ten young artists from Morocco, France, and Belgium to explore «connection in all its forms—roots, transmission, memory, family, friendship, and otherness». The presentation will feature illustrators Aicha Abouhaj and Ibticem Larbi, alongside Amine Hamma of the Hiba Foundation. On Sunday, April 13, Rahal Boubrik will present his book The Sahara Question: At the Origins of a Colonial Invention (1884–1975) (La Croisée des Chemins). A roundtable titled Femininity Between Two Shores? A Feminine Perspective on Migration? will bring together novelists, scholars, and historians to discuss migration through a gendered lens. Participants include Samira El Ayachi (The Belly of Men, ed. de l'Aube), Yasmine Chami (Casablanca Circus, Actes Sud), and Kaoutar Harchi (Thus the Animal and Us, Actes Sud). Beyond literature, the Moroccan pavilion will showcase other elements of the country's heritage. A screening of Moroccan Caftan: A Journey Through the Hands of its Artisans by Yohann Charrin Durée will be held in the auditorium. Later the same day, Salah El-Ouadie will present Journey of a 20th Century Survivor (Centre culturel du livre), joined by Driss El Yazami. The festival will also honor Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine, with support from the CCME, the Academy of the Kingdom, and Le Fennec publishing house, which has just reissued seven of the late author's works. Interactive Spaces and Author Meet-and-Greets An autograph area supported by the CCME will feature Moroccan authors such as Mohammed Nedali (It's Night Among the Berbers and The Moroccan School, Diagnosis of a Former Teacher), Zineb Mekouar, Leïla Bahsaïn (What I Know About Mr. Jacques), Youssouf Amine Elalami (Life Suits Him So Well), Hajar Azell (The Meaning of Escape), Abdellatif Laâbi (The Anthology of Gazaoui Poetry and Hope Snatched, Almost Nothings), Rachid Benzine (The Silence of Fathers), and Souad Jamaï (The Fairy Version). La Grande Dictée returns this year at the Petit Palais, led by Augustin Trapenard and Rachid Santaki. Starting April 11, French-language lovers will tackle texts themed around the sea. Participating authors include Emma Green, Tatiana de Rosnay, and Leïla Slimani. The event is designed to «celebrate the richness of the French language in a convivial setting» that combines critical thinking and playfulness. To engage younger visitors, the Moroccan pavilion will feature a children's space hosting the game 1001 Questions About Morocco, led by journalist and producer Nadia Larguet and illustrator Myriem Chraïbi. Designed to be both fun and educational, the game introduces Moroccan heritage through questions on history, geography, art, sports, and culture. The Paris Book Festival spans eleven stages, offering «an expanded program» that «crosses literary genres and fosters connections with other artistic disciplines such as cinema, live performance, visual arts, photography, and music through shows, exhibitions, installations, and performances». Promoting «a resolutely convivial and festive spirit», the event aims to be a space for «all literatures». In 2024, the festival welcomed 103,000 visitors—45% of whom were under 25.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
French-Algerian writer jailed over Morocco comments
An Algerian court has sentenced an 80-year-old writer to five years in prison after accusing him of undermining the country's territorial integrity. Boualem Sansal was arrested last year after saying in an interview with a far-right French media outlet that, during the colonial era, France gave too much land to Algeria and too little to Morocco. He had also said that the disputed territory of Western Sahara was historically part of Morocco. During his detention the French-Algerian author has spent time in hospital for ill-health. His case has sparked a wave of support from intellectuals and politicians, including Nigerian Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka and French President Emmanuel Macron. "Boualem Sansal's arbitrary detention, on top of his worrying health situation, is one of the elements that need to be settled before confidence [between our countries] can be fully restored," Macron said back in February. The writer finds himself at centre of a deepening diplomatic row, according to his friends. "He has unwillingly become a pawn in the troubled relationship between Paris and Algiers," a committee of his supporters in France said recently. Algeria was once a prized French colony and fought a dogged war of independence eventually winning its sovereignty in 1962. Relations have long been strained between the two countries but reached a new low last year, when France backed Morocco's claim to Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the Polisario group fighting for the territory's independence. Algiers responded to that slight by withdrawing its ambassador to Paris. Three years earlier, Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco. Following Wednesday's court ruling, Sansal's lawyer pleaded to Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to show "humanity" to the writer. Sansal is well known for his anti-Islamist views and is an outspoken critic of the Algerian government. His detractors say he is a darling of the far-right who appeases their prejudices. Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen has called Sansal a "fighter for liberty and a courageous opponent of Islamism". His age has previously been reported as 75, but his publishers Gallimard say he is in fact 80. Additional reporting by Marcus Erbe France backs Morocco in dispute over Western Sahara Algeria wins row over map on Moroccan football shirts Patient sues Algerian author over claims he used her in novel Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
