Ahlam Mosteghanemi
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Ahlem Mosteghanemi ( ar, أحلام مستغانمي), alternatively written Ahlam Mosteghanemi (born 1953) is an Algerian
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...
who has been called "''probably the world's best-known Arabophone woman novelist''". She was the first Algerian woman to publish fiction in Arabic.


Biography


Birth in exile and return to Algeria

Ahlem was born in
Tunis, Tunisia ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...
. She is the daughter of a militant
political activist A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some ...
who was forced into exile during the Algerian liberation war. In the wake of independence, her family moved back to
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
, where her father, an intellectual and a humanitarian, occupied high positions in the first Algerian government. He launched a literacy campaign all over the territory and supervised the distribution of agricultural land to the poorest.


Early poetry

In the 70s, following the assassination attempt during the Boumediene coup d’état, and the consequent hospitalization of her father, who was also targeted, Ahlem, as the eldest sibling, took up the responsibility of providing for her family as a radio host. At the age of 17, she became popular in Algeria with the poetic daily show Hammassat (Whispers) on national radio. While publishing in 1973, Ala Marfa al Ayam (To the Days’ Haven), Ahlem also became the first woman to publish a compilation of poetry in Arabic, which put her on a thorny and untraveled path. It was followed in 1976 by the release of Al Kitaba fi Lahdat Ouray (The Writing in a Moment of Nudity). At the time, she was part of the first generation to acquire the right to study in Arabic after more than a century of prohibition by the French colonization.


The Arabic language

Ahlam studied in the Arab school for girls to open after Algeria's independence, gaining proficiency in
Modern Standard Arabic Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or Modern Written Arabic (MWA), terms used mostly by linguists, is the variety of standardized, literary Arabic that developed in the Arab world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; occasionally, it also ref ...
. She has said that 'Arabic was my father’s choice, not mine; he wanted me to avenge him, as he was deprived of learning it by the French colonizer, who declared war on the Arabic language as a way of stripping Algerians of their identity... For my father, choosing Arabic was a conscious political decision, but for me, it was my father’s will that I was keen on fulfilling'. But, at the time, the Algerian society was rebuilding its identity and recovering from a colonial past that resulted in the death of over a million and a half. It was not prepared to see a girl express herself freely on subjects such as love and women's rights. It was even less prepared to see her do it in the sacred Arabic language. This is where Ahlem's battle begins against sexism. Although women had fought alongside men during the revolution, in the postwar period they were generally relegated to their traditional roles; they were denied the freedom to express themselves and to aspire to success. After she received her B.A in Literature, the board of directors of the University of Algiers refused her enrolment for a Masters under the pretense that her freedom of expression had a negative impact on students. She was also expelled from the Union of Algerian Writers for not conforming to the political line of her time.


Marriage and life in Paris

In Algiers, Mosteghanemi met Georges El Rassi, a Lebanese journalist, who was preparing a thesis about “Arabization and cultural conflicts in independent Algeria”. They were married in 1976 in Paris and settled there. Ahlam pursued her university studies at the Sorbonne, where in 1982 she obtained a doctorate in Sociology. Her thesis explored the misunderstanding and malaise between both sexes in the Algerian society. The doctorate was under the guidance of Jacques Berques, an eminent orientalist, who also wrote the preface of her thesis (published in 1985 by L’Harmattan as Algérie, femmes et écriture). During the fifteen years she spent in Paris, Ahlam contributed to various magazines, and during time stolen from her new role as a mother of three young boys, wrote fragments of what turned out after four years to be a novel. Ahlam justified her transition from poetry to prose by saying: «When we lose a love, one writes a poem, when we lose our homeland, one writes a novel». Algeria is never far from her mind: «There are countries that we live in and countries that live in us».


Settling in Lebanon and revelation

Once she settled down in 1993, in
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, she presents her novel “Zakirat el Jassad” (Memory of the Flesh), to the editor of the renowned publishing house Dar Al Adab. Excited, the editor will declare: « this is a bomb». It will be the revelation. This novel, written in a style highly poetic and with political bravado, will have a phenomenal success throughout the Arab world. The love story is set between an armless painter and the daughter of his former commander encountered in Paris 25 years after the war. The novel evokes the disappointment of the post-war generation, which echoes the disappointment of a generation of Arabs. In a famous letter to the author, Nizar Kabbani, the great contemporary Arab poet, declared: « This novel gave me vertigo; had I been asked, I would have signed it». The director
Youssef Chahine Youssef Chahine ( ar, يوسف شاهين, Yūsuf Shāhīn ; 25 January 1926 – 27 July 2008) was an Egyptian film director. He was active in the Egyptian film industry from 1950 until his death. He directed twelve films that were listed ...
, winner of the Palme d'Or, purchases the rights to the film shortly before his death. Meanwhile, the famous Hollywood director Mustafa Akkad said that one of his dreams was to adapt “Zakirat el Jassad” into a movie. Moved by his reading, President Ben Bella will say from his exile: «Ahlem is an Algerian sun that illuminates the Arab world». To date, more than one million copies have been sold across the Arabic-speaking world (excluding pirated editions which vastly outnumber the legal editions in the Arab world). This novel also has the merit to reconcile the Arab reader with the Arabic language and reading.


The trilogy

Ahlem continues her literary career by giving two sequels to her novel: “Fawda el Hawas” (The Chaos of Senses) in 1997 and “Aber Sareer” (Bed Hopper) in 2003. Each part of the trilogy, now a classic, is a bestseller in its own right throughout the Arab world. In 1998, Ahlem receives the Naguib Mahfouz literary prize for “Memory of the Flesh". This prize was founded by the American University of Cairo, which will translate the novel in English and publish it in 2000. The jury will say about the author: «Ahlem is a light which shines in thick darkness. She was able to get out of the linguistic exile in which French colonialism had relegated the Algerian intellectuals». In 2010, "Nessyan.com" (The Art of Forgetting) is published. It is a break up manual for women, which will bring Ahlem closer to a female audience (Nessyan.com's humorous reference on the cover is that it is banned from sale to men). In 2012, Ahlem's latest novel, El Aswad Yalikou Biki (Black Suits You so Well) is published. The novel confirms Ahlem's status as a major Arab novelist. The story evokes the struggle of a young Algerian teacher whose father, a singer, is killed in the nineties by the terrorists who stand against any form of art and joy in society. Singing at her father's funeral, the girl, previously forbidden to speak to, carries away the crowd with her dreamy voice. Defying terrorism, she embarks in a singing career. She then has to flee her country and during her exile she meets a wealthy and mysterious man who tries to seduce her. The novel addresses the challenge of standing up not only to terrorism but also to the crushing power of money and the media.


Fights and influence

For over 35 years, Ahlem's contribution enriched the Arabic literary scene. Furthermore, through her writings she led the fight against corruption, injustice, totalitarian regimes, fundamentalism, new forms of colonization and the denigration of women's right. With deep admiration for an Algerian poet, Ahlam Mosteghanemi established the Malek Haddad Literary Prize in 2001 for the best Algerian writer. While interviewed in June 2001 she voiced her worries about the lack of Arabic literature in Algeria and was in hopes that the Malek Haddad Literary Prize would encourage more to write in Arabic. Just like Ahlam, Malek Haddad was also from Constantine, Algeria. Although he gave up writing, his reasoning was due to him not being allowed to write in Arabic. Ahlam Mosteghanemi quoted Hadda throughout "Memory in Flesh" and loved what he stood for. Her quotes, on love as well as politics, are widely used by the Arab public.


Works


Novels

# ''Zakirat el Jassad'' ('' Memory in the Flesh''/''The Bridges of Constantine'') - Published by Dar al adab, Beirut, 1993, 34 printed editions. Considered by critics as a turning point in Arabic literature. # ''Fawda el Hawas'' ('' Chaos of the Senses'') - Published by Dar al adab in Beirut 1997, 30 printed editions. # ''Aber Sareer'' (''Bed Hopper'') - Published by Dar al adab in Beirut 2003, 22 printed editions. # ''El Aswad Yalikou Biki'' (''Black Suits You so Well'') - Published by Hachette-Antoine in Beirut 2012


Anthologies

# ''Ala Marfa al Ayam'' ('' In the Harbour of Days'') - Published by SNED in Algers 1973. # ''Al Kitaba fi Lahdat Ouray'' (''Writing in a Moment of Nudity'') - Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 1976. # ''Algérie, femmes et écriture'' (''Algeria, Women and Writings'') - Published by l'Harmattan in Paris 1985. # ''Akadib Samaka'' (''Lies of a Fish'') - Published by l'ENAG in Algiers 1993. # ''Nessyane.com'' (''The Art of Forgetting'')- Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 2009. # ''Shahiyyan ka firâq (Delicious as Parting Dreams)-'' Published by Hachette-Antoine/Naufal 2018.


Academic research

# Academic research for her doctoral thesis, Paris 1982, supervised by Jacques Berque.
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
has printed all her work in Braille for blind readers.


Mosteghanemi's works in the curriculum

Ahlam Mosteghanemi's novels have been adopted in the curricula of several universities and high schools worldwide, and dozens of university theses and research papers have been based upon her work. The
French Ministry of Education French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
has used parts of ''Memory in the Flesh'' for the French baccalaureate tests in 2003 in 15 countries where students chose Arabic as a second language. Her work has been translated into several foreign languages by prestigious publishing houses, including pocket books in French and English. She lectured and worked as a visiting professor in many universities around the world including: The American University of Beirut, 1995;
University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
, 1999; University of
Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...
, 2002;
Montpellier University The University of Montpellier (french: Université de Montpellier) is a public research university located in Montpellier, in south-east of France. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the oldest universities in the wor ...
, 2002;
University of Lyon The University of Lyon (french: Université de Lyon), located in Lyon and Saint-Étienne, France, is a center for higher education and research comprising 11 members and 24 associated institutions. The three main universities in this center are: C ...
, 2003;
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, 2005;
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
Boston, 2005;
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, 2005.


Translations

Most of Ahlem's work has been published in English by Bloomsbury Publishing which includes: * ''"Zakirat el Jassad" (Memory in the Flesh)'', published under the title "The Bridges of Constantine" in 2013. * ''"Fawda el Hawas" (The Chaos of the Senses)'', published in 2015. * ''"Aber Sareer" (Bed Hopper)'', published under the title ''"The Dust of Promises"'' in 2016. * ''"Nessyan.com" (The Art of Forgetting)'', published in 2011. The publishing house Albin Michel translated some of her work in French : ''"Zakirat El Jassad" (Mémoires de la chair)'' in 2002 and ''"Fawda el Hawas" (Le Chaos des sens)'' in 2006. A study of translations of ''Zakirat al-Jassad'' from Arabic into French and into English has been done by Abbad Kouider, following the translation concepts of
Lawrence Venuti Lawrence Venuti (born 1953) is an American translation theorist, translation historian, and a translator from Italian, French, and Catalan. Career Born in Philadelphia, Venuti graduated from Temple University. In 1980 he completed a Ph.D. in ...
.


Awards and honors

* Identified by
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
Magazine in 2006 as the most successful Arabic writer, having exceeded sales of 2,300,000 and one of the ten most influential women in the Arab world and the leading woman in literature. * Awarded The Shield of Beirut by the Governor of Beirut in a special ceremony held at UNESCO Palace attended by 1500 people at the time her book “nessyane.com” was published in 2009. * Received the Shield of Al Jimar Foundation for Arabic Creativity in Tripoli – Libya, 2007. * Named the Algerian Cultural Personality of the year 2007 by Algerian News Magazine and the Algerian Press Club. * Selected for three years in a row (2006, 2007 and 2008) as one of the 100 most powerful public figures in the Arab World by Arabian Business Magazine, ranking at number 58 in 2008. * Named The Most Distinguished Arab Woman of 2006 (selected from 680 nominated women) by the Arab Women Studies Center Paris / Dubai * Awarded a medal of honor from
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ar, عبد العزيز بوتفليقة, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Būtaflīqa ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as President of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019 ...
the
President of Algeria The president of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Algerian People's National Armed Forces. History of the office The Tripoli Program, whi ...
in 2006. * Received the Medal of Appreciation and Gratitude from Sheikh
Abdelhamid Ben Badis ʻAbd al-Ḥamīd (ALA-LC romanization of ar, عبد الحميد) is a Muslim male given name, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words ''Abd (Arabic), ʻabd'' and ''al-Ḥamīd'', one of the names of God in the Qur'an, whic ...
Foundation, Constantine, 2006. * Received the Pioneers of Lebanon Committee Medal for her overall work 2004. * Received the George Tarabeh Prize for Culture and Creativity,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, 1999. * Received the Amman Loyalty Medal for Creativity, Amman,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
1999. * Received the
Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature The Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature is a literary award for Arabic literature.UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Artist for Peace by Irina Bokova, director of the organization, on the 16th of December 2016 in Paris.


See also

* The Passenger Of a Bed * Forgetting.com * Black Suits You so Well


References

* world's most Influential Arab
2007
- Ahlam Mosteghanemi # 96 * world's most Influential Arab
2008
- Ahlam MosteghanemiI # 58


External links


Ahlam Mosteghanemi website

Ahlam Mosteghanemi Arab author


by Ferial Ghazoul, ''Al-ahram Weekly'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Mosteghanemi, Ahlam 1953 births Living people Algerian writers Writers from Tunis Recipients of the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature University of Algiers alumni University of Paris alumni Algerian women writers 21st-century Algerian people