Fatima Gallaire, née Bourega, (7 August 1944 – 15 September 2020) was a Franco-

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

n playwright and author of short stories, who wrote in French. Born in Algeria, she held a degree in French literature from the

University of Algiers The University of Algiers (Arabic:جامعة الجزائر – بن يوسف بن خـدة ), commonly called the Algiers 1 University, is a public research university located in Algiers, Algeria. It is the oldest and most prestigious universi ...

, and one in cinema from

Paris 8 University Paris 8 University Vincennes-Saint-Denis (french: Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis) is a public university in Paris, France. Once part of the historic University of Paris, it is now an autonomous public institution. It is one of the th ...

. She has written over twenty plays, many of which have been translated and performed in languages including English, Italian, German, Spanish and Uzbek. These include ''Princesses'', translated as ''You have come back'', and ''Les Co-épouses'', translated as ''House of Wives''. She received the Arletty Prize for Drama in 1990 and the Académie française AMIC award in 1994.

Biography

Gallaire was born as Fatima Bourega on 7 August 1944 in El Harrouch in north-eastern Algeria. After studying French literature at the

(1963–67), she moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

where she studied cinema until 1970. After working for four years at the Algiers Cinémathèque, she returned to Paris in 1975 where she earned a degree in Cinema Studies at Paris 8 University,

Vincennes Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attache ...

, in 1980. The following year she married a Frenchman, adopting his family name for her publications. She gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, in 1981. In 1985, she began to write for the theatre, her ''Ah vous êtes venus...'' (later retitled ''Princesses'') being presented at the Théâtre Essaion in Paris in February 1986. In 1991, she wrote her first novel ''Le Mendigot''. Gallaire died 15 September 2020 in Paris, aged 76.

Works translated into English

* ''You have come back'' (''Princesses''), in "Plays by women: an International Anthology", ed. Francoise Kourilsky and Catherine Temerson, Ubu Repertory Theater Publications, 1988. * ''Madame Bertin's Testimony'' (''Témoignage contre un homme stérile''), in "Monologues : plays from Martinique, France, Algeria, Quebec", Ubu Repertory Theater, New York, 1995. * ''House of Wives'' (''Les Co-épouses''), in "Four Plays from North Africa", ed. Marvin Carlson, Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications, New York, 2008.

Awards

In 1990, she was awarded the Arletty Prize for her contributions to drama. She also received the AMIC Award from the Académie française in 1994.

References

External links

Fatima Gallaire's official site
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gallaire, Fatima 1944 births 2020 deaths Algerian dramatists and playwrights Algerian emigrants to France University of Algiers alumni 20th-century Algerian women writers Algerian writers in French University of Paris alumni Women dramatists and playwrights People from Skikda Province