Algerian War

Kamel Daoud’s novel "Zabor"

Algeria and a patriarch's dying throes

"Zabor", the new novel by Algerian star author Kamel Daoud, tells the story of the outsider Ismael, who discovers poetry as a means of survival. Stefan Weidner sees parallels in the novel with the situation in Algeria following the ousting of Bouteflika
Algerian cinema

Young, rebellious and full of beans

Algeria's young filmmakers are turning their attention to making films that engage with the country's violent past. Christopher Resch met up with three of them
Book review: Joseph Andras′ ″De nos freres blesses ″

A shameful chapter

Joseph Andras′ debut novel ″De nos freres blesses″ (Of Our Wounded Brothers) touches upon a sore spot in French history, recalling the time when Algeria was a French colony and French anti-colonialists fought alongside Algerians. Claudia Kramatschek read the book
Book review: Kamel Daoud's "The Meursault Investigation"

To kill an Arab

In his impressive novel "The Meursault Investigation", Algerian author Kamel Daoud reopens the case of one of the most famous murders in literary history. His book lends a voice to the Arab murder victim in Albert Camus' "The Stranger" and is also an angry reckoning with contemporary Algeria. By Stefan Buchen
Book review: Etel Adnan's "Conversations with My Soul"

Illuminating the obscure

In 1980, the Lebanese artist and writer Etel Adnan published the book-length poem "The Arab Apocalypse", which to this day is still regarded as one of the most important works on the civil war in Lebanon. A selection of some of Adnan's works has been translated into German and published under the title "Gespräche mit meiner Seele" (Conversations with My Soul). A review by Claudia Kramatschek
The headscarf in the colonial period

Remove your veils!

As far back as over 100 years ago, people were already arguing that the headscarf was a symbol of male oppression and therefore incompatible with Western civilisation and its system of values. In the French colonies, authorities actually followed through on these ideas, forcing women to take off their veils. Historical insights from Susanne Kaiser
Obituary: the Algerian writer Malek Alloula

A prophet unaccepted in his own country

The renowned Algerian essayist, literary scholar and poet Malek Alloula died in February at the age of 78. His ex-wife, the writer Assia Djebar, had died in exile in Paris only a few weeks previously. By Suleman Taufiq
Sixty years since the beginning of the Algerian war

National fronts?

The Algerian War began 60 years ago. Some eight years later, a new Arab nation came about – and a million Algerians of French origin fled to France. The recent successes of the extreme-right Front National have made these "pieds-noirs" a political factor again, as the fronts of the Algerian War retain contemporary relevance. By Jakob Krais
Interview with the Algerian Women's Rights Activist Nadia Ait Zai

''We need to completely change the system of government''

The recent parliamentary election in Algerian has made little difference to the balance of political power. One thing, however, is new: there are now suddenly five times as many female members of parliament. Martina Sabra asked the Algerian lawyer and women's rights activist Nadia Ait Zai about what was behind this change, and about prospects for the future