Algeria: award-winning novel closes publishing house
On July 17th, Algeria’s Arabic publishing house MIM Edition announced it would be closing its doors following the controversy surrounding the award-winning novel, ‘Houaria’, reported the National and Middle East Monitor.
The novel was criticised over social media for containing inappropriate content, such as vulgar expressions in the Algerian Arabic Dariji dialect.
The Algerian writer of ‘Houaria’, Inaam Bayoud, was awarded the prestigious Assia Djebar Literary Grand Prize on July 11th, amidst condemnation of the novel on social media.
“We announce that MIM closed its doors effective immediately in the face of wind and the fire,” the publishing house announced in its final statement.
“We were nothing but advocates of peace and love, and we sought nothing but to spread that.”
READ: Algeria: 2 more journalists arrested in crackdown on dissent
Several Algerian intellectuals have spoken against the backlash, highlighting the double standards women face in Algerian society.
Veteran journalist Hassan Moali posted on Facebook, “The Inaam Bayoud affair highlights in broad terms the hypocrisy of a part of the people who absolutely do not want to face their contradictions under the cover of a sometimes overrated bigotry.”
Amina Belaala, a member of the Assia Djebar Grand Prize jury, denied the existence of any profanity or offensive content to Algerians in the novel, adding that “We did not see in those few words any affront to morality, religion or modesty,”.
Belaala criticised those who rushed to call the novel indecent and erotic after reading only a few pages, adding that “those who claim to defend values by condemning an imaginary character are defending ideologies against art”. The literary critic praised Bayoud’s “precise narrative and character construction.”.
READ: New law strengthens military’s influence in Algeria’s government
The story of the novel revolves around the titular character, Houaria, working as a fortune teller in Oran. Clients from different social strata reveal their most intimate secrets, seeking advice from Houaria, allowing Bayoud to explore the multiple layers of Algerian society. The writer also delves into critical stages of the North African country’s history by looking at the diaries of a socially marginalised group at the time.
MIM Edition was established by editor Assia Ali Moussa in 2007. The Algiers-based publishing house gained prominence for supporting young Algerian women through publishing novels, poetry, plays and literary research.
Middle East Monitor / The National and agencies
