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Kateb Yacine (; 2 August 1929 or 6 August 1929 – 28 October 1989) was an Algerian writer notable for his
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
s and plays, both in
French 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 ...
and
Algerian Arabic Algerian Arabic (natively known as Dziria) is a dialect derived from the form of Arabic spoken in northern Algeria. It belongs to the Maghrebi Arabic language continuum and is partially mutually intelligible with Tunisian and Moroccan. Like ...
, and his advocacy of the
Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–19 ...
cause.


Biography

Kateb Yacine was officially born on 6 August 1929 in Constantine, though it is likely that his birth occurred four days earlier. Although his birth name is Yacine Kateb, he once said that he was so used to hearing his teachers calling out names with the last name first that he adopted Kateb Yacine as a pen name. He was born into a scholarly maraboutic
Chaoui The Chaoui people or ''Shawia'' ( arq, الشاوية, shy, Išawiyen) are an Amazigh (Berber) ethnic group to the Aurès region in northeastern Algeria which spans Batna and Khenchla, Oum El Bouaghi provinces located in and surrounded by the ...
Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–19 ...
family from the modern
Sedrata Sedrata ( Berber: Isedraten, ar, سدراتة) is a municipality and large city in Souk Ahras Province, Algeria, capital of Sedrata District. It has a population of 110.213 as of the 2019 census, which gives it 11 seats in the PMA. Its municipa ...
, in ''wilaya'' of Souk Ahras (in the Aurès region). His maternal grandfather was the 'bach adel', or deputy judge of the
qadi A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a '' sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and mino ...
in Condé Smendou (Zirout Youcef). His father was a lawyer, and the family followed him through his various assignments in different parts of the country. Young Kateb (which means 'writer'), attended the Sedrata Quran school in 1937, then in 1938 the French school in Lafayette (Bougaa) in Little
Kabylie Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kabyle people. It is part of ...
, where the family had moved. In 1941 he enrolled in the colonial 'collège' (secondary school) of Setif as a boarder. Kateb Yacine was in his third year of ''collège'' when the demonstrations of 8 May 1945 occurred. He participated in these demonstrations that ended with the massacre of between six and eight (according to nationalists forty-five) thousand Algerians by the French army and police in the Sétif and Guelma massacre. Three days later he was placed under arrest and imprisoned for two months. From that point on he became a partisan for the
nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
cause. Expelled from secondary school, watching his mother's psychological health decline, passing through a period of dejection and immersed in the writings of Lautréamont and
Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticism inherited fro ...
, his father sent him to the high school in Bône (
Annaba Annaba ( ar, عنّابة,  "Place of the Jujubes"; ber, Aânavaen), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River ...
). There he met 'Nedjma' ('the star'), an 'already married cousin' with whom he lived for 'maybe eight months', as he later acknowledged. While living with Nedjma he published his first collection of poetry in 1946. He had already become 'politicized' and started giving lectures under the auspices of the
Algerian People's Party The Algerian People's Party (in French, Parti du Peuple Algerien PPA), was a successor organization of the North African Star (''Étoile Nord-Africaine''), led by veteran Algerian nationalist Messali Hadj. It was formed on March 11, 1937. In 1936, ...
, 'the great nationalist party of the masses'. Yacine went to
Paris Paris () is the capital and 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), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
in 1947, "into the lion's den" as he put it. In May 1947 he joined the
Algerian Communist Party The Algerian Communist Party (french: Parti Communiste Algérien; ar, الحزب الشيوعي الجزائري) was a communist party in Algeria. The PCA emerged in 1920 as an extension of the French Communist Party (PCF) and eventually beca ...
and gave a lecture in the 'Salle des Sociétés savantes' on emir
Abd al-Qadir Abd al-Qadir or Abdulkadir ( ar, عبد القادر) is a male Muslim given name. It is formed from the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' Qadir''. The name means "servant of the powerful", ''Al-Qādir'' being one of the names of God in the ...
. During a second visit to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
the following year he published 'Nedjma ou le Poème du Couteau' (a hint of what was to follow) in the revue 'Le Mercure de France'. He was a journalist at the daily 'Alger Républicain' between 1949 and 1951. After his father's death in 1950 Yacine worked as a longshoreman in
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...
. He returned to Paris where he would stay until 1959. During this period in Paris he worked with
Malek Haddad Malek Haddad (born in Constantine, Algeria on 5 July 1927; died in Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 200 ...
, developed a relationship with
M'hamed Issiakhem M'hamed Issiakhem (17 June 1928 – 1 December 1985) is one of the founders of the modern Algerian painting. Biography M'hamed Issiakhem born on 17 June 1928 in Taboudoucht, a small village near Azeffoun, around 43 kilometers from Tizi O ...
, and in 1954, spoke extensively with Bertold Brecht. In 1954, the revue
Esprit Esprit or L'Esprit may refer to: * the French for Spirit; as a loanword: ** Enthusiasm, intense interest or motivation ** Morale, motivation and readiness ** Geist "mind/spirit; intellect" * Esprit (name), a given name and surname * ''Esprit'' (m ...
published Yacine's play 'Le cadavre encerclé', which was staged by
Jean-Marie Serreau Jean-Marie Serreau (28 April 1915 – 22 May 1973) was a 20th-century French actor, theatre director and a former student of Charles Dullin. Serreau directed the in Paris during the 1950s-1960s and established the at in Vincennes in 1970. He ...
but was banned in France. 'Nedjma' was published in 1956 (and Kateb would not forget the editor's comment: "This is too complicated. In Algeria you've got such pretty sheep, why don't you talk about your sheep?"). During the
Algerian War of Independence The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
, Yacine was forced to travel abroad for a long time due to the harassment he faced from the DST. He lived in numerous places, subsisting as a guest writer or working various odd jobs in France,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
and the
USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nati ...
. After a stay in
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...
, Yacine returned again to Algeria in 1962, shortly after the independence celebrations. He resumed writing for 'Alger Républicain' but traveled frequently between 1963 and 1967 to
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, France and Germany. 'La Femme sauvage', which he had written between 1954 and 1959, was performed in Paris in 1963. 'Les Ancêtres redoublent de férocité' was staged in 1967. 'La Poudre d'intelligence' was also staged in Paris in 1967 and an Algerian Arabic version in Algiers in 1969. In 1964 Yacine published six essays on 'our brothers the Indians' in 'Alger Républicain' and recounted his meeting with
Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lite ...
while his mother was being committed to the psychiatric hospital in
Blida Blida ( ar, البليدة; Tamazight: Leblida) is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name ''Blida'', i.e. ''bulaydah'', is a diminutive ...
('La Rose de Blida', in 'Révolution Africaine', July 1965). He left for
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
in 1967, completely abandoning the novel and wrote 'L'Homme aux sandales de caoutchouc', a play celebrating
Ho Chi Minh (: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as (' Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as P ...
and the Vietnamese struggle against imperialism, that was published, performed and translated into Arabic in 1970. The same year Yacine returned to make a more permanent home in Algeria. During this period he had a significant change in philosophy: he refused to continue writing in French, and instead began working on popular theatre, epics and satires, performed in dialectal Arabic. Beginning this work with the theatre company 'Théatre de la Mer' from Bab El Oued in 1971, sponsored by the Ministère du Travail et des Affaires Sociales, Kateb traveled all over Algeria for five years, putting on plays for an audience of workers, farmers and students. Between 1972 and 1975 Kateb went with on tour performing the plays 'Mohamed prends ta valise' and 'La Guerre de deux mille ans' to France and to the
German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...
. The Algerian government in Sidi-Bel-Abbes more or less sentenced him to direct the city's regional theatre as a kind of exile. Having been forbidden to appear on television, Yacine staged his plays in schools or businesses. He was often criticized for his emphasis on Berber tradition and the ' Tamazight' language, as well as for his liberal positions on issues of gender equality such as his position against women being required to wear a headscarf. In 1986 Kateb Yacine circulated an excerpt of a play about
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...
, and in 1987 he received the Grand prix national des Lettres in France. In 1988 the
Avignon Festival The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in the French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vila ...
staged 'Le Bourgeois sans culotte ou le spectre du parc Monceau', a play about
Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...
that Yacine wrote at the request of the
Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of ...
Cultural Center for the bicentennial commemoration of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
. Yacine settled in Verscheny in
Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
, traveled often to the
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and continued to make frequent trips to Algeria. At his death he left an unfinished work on the Algerian riots of October 1988. In 2003 his works were admitted to the
Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...
. Taught in the language of the colonizer, Kateb Yacine considered the French language the Algerians' spoil of the war for independence. He declared in 1966 that "
La Francophonie LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
is a
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political machine, which only perpetuates our alienation, but the usage of the French language does not mean that one is an agent of a foreign power, and I write in French to tell the French that I am not French". Trilingual, Kateb Yacine also wrote and supervised the translation of his texts into the Berber language. His work manifests his multicultural country's search for identity and the aspirations of its people. Kateb Yacine is the father of three children, Hans, Nadia and Amazigh Kateb, singer for the band Gnawa Diffusion.


Bibliography


Books by Kateb

* ''Soliloques'', poems, Bône, Ancienne imprimerie Thomas, 1946. Reprint (with an introduction by Kateb Yacine), Algeria, Bouchène, 1991, 64 pages. * ''Abdelkader et l'indépendance algérienne'', Algeria, En Nahda, 1948, 47 pages. * ''Nedjma'', novel, Paris, Editions du Seuil, 1956, 256 pages. (English translation by Richard Howard, Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1991, and aperback * ''Le Cercle des représailles'', play, Paris, Editions du Euil, 1959, 169 pages ontains ''Le Cadavre encerclé'', ''La Poudre d'intelligence'', ''Les Ancêtres redoublent de férocité'', and ''Le Vautour'', introduction by Edouard Glissant: ''Le Chant profond de Kateb Yacine'']. * ''Le Polygone étoilé'', novel, Paris, Editions du Seuil, 1966, 182 pages. * ''Les Ancêtres redoublent de férocité'', [with a new ending], Paris, collection TNP, 1967. * ''L'Homme aux sandales de caoutchouc'', tribute to Vietnam and leader
Ho Chi Minh (: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as (' Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as P ...
, play, Paris, Editions du Seuil, 1970, 288 pages. * ''Boucherie de l'espérance'', plays, our plays, including ''Mohammed prends ta valise'', 1971, and ''Le Bourgeois sans culotte'' Paris, Editions du Seuil, 1999, 570 pages. * ''L'Œuvre en fragments'', Inédits littéraires et textes retrouvés, rassemblés et présentés by Jacqueline Arnaud, Paris, Sindbad 1986, 448 pages (). * ''Le Poète comme un boxeur'', interviews 1958-1989, Paris, Editions du Seuil, 1994. * ''Minuit passé de douze heures'', journalism, 1947-1989, textes réunis par Amazigh Kateb, Paris, Editions du Seuil, 1999, 360 pages. * ''Parce que c'est une femme'', introduction by Zebeïda Chergui, play, ncluding an interview with Kateb Yacine by El Hanar Benali, 1972, ''La Kahina ou Dilhya''; ''Saout Ennissa'', 1972; ''La Voix des femmes'' et ''Louise Michel et la Nouvelle Calédonie'' Paris, Editions des Femmes, 2004, 174 pages.


Introductions and prefaces

* ''Les Fruits de la colère'', introduction to Aît Djaffar, ''Complainte de la petite Yasmina'' * ''Les mille et une nuit de la révolution'', introduction to Abdelhamid Benzine, ''La Plaine et la montagne'' * ''Les Ancêtres redoublent de férocité'', introduction to Tassadit Yacine, " Lounis Aït Menguellet songs, in Berber and French, Paris, La Découverte, 1989; Alger Bouchène/Awal, 1990 Kateb Yacine's final work, written for Tassadit Yacine on 29 September 1989, one month before he died *Kateb Yacine is the father of three, children hans.nadia and amazihgh kateb, singer for the band cnawa diffusion


On Kateb Yacine

* ''Hommage à Kateb Yacine'' ith a detailed bibliography by Jacqueline Arnaud Kalim n° 7, Algeria, Office des Publications Universitaires, 1987, 264 pages. * Ghania Khelifi, ''Kateb Yacine, Eclats et poèmes'', hronology and many documents Algeria, Enag Editions, 1990, 136 pages. * ''Kateb Yacine, Eclats de mémoire'', documents réunis par Olivier Corpet, Albert Dichy et Mireille Djaider, Editions de l'IMEC, 1994, 80 pages ().


References


External links


Blog about Kateb Yacine (pt)


excerpts, articles from the Algerian press

(L'Harmattan, 1997), presentation de Kateb Yacine par Mireille Djaïder. {{DEFAULTSORT:Yacine, Kateb 1929 births 1989 deaths Algerian atheists 20th-century Algerian writers Berber Algerians Berber writers Chaoui people People from Constantine, Algeria Burials in Algeria