Yasmina Khadra
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Mohammed Moulessehoul ( ar, محمد مولسهول; born January 10, 1955), better known by the
pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...
Yasmina Khadra ( ar, ياسمينة خضراء), is an Algerian author living in France, who writes in French. One of the most famous Algerian novelists in the world has written almost 40 novels, and has published in more than 50 countries. Khadra has often explored Algerian and other Arab countries'
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
s, depicting Muslim conflicts and reality, the attraction of radical Islamism to those alienated by the incompetence and hypocrisy of politicians, and conflicts between East and West. In his several writings on Algerian war, he has exposed the regime and the fundamentalist opposition as the joint guilty parties in the country's tragedy.


Biography


Early life, and short stories

Moulessehoul was born in 1955 in
Kénadsa Kénadsa is a town and commune in the Sahara Desert of south-western Algeria, and is the capital of Kénadsa District, Béchar Province. As of 2008, Kénadsa had a population of 13,492, up from 11,667 in 1998, and an annual growth rate of 1.5%. T ...
, in the Algerian Sahara. His mother, of nomadic origins, was her tribe's "chief storyteller". His father, initially a nurse, joined the Algerian National Liberation army, as Algeria began to fight for independence from France. He became an officer, wounded in 1958. Parents sent their three sons, Mohammed aged nine and later his two younger brothers, to the cadet school of Revolution in
El Mechouar Palace Mechouar Palace ( ar, قصر المشور) or the Zianide Royal Palace is the former official residence of the Zayyanid dynasty in the city of Tlemcen, Algeria. The palace is situated in the middle of the city, and used to be part of the greater Mec ...
,
Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the por ...
. Khadra describes the beginning of his passion for writing in his autobiography entitled ''The Writer'', in this way he was able to keep privacy that he missed in the cadet dormitories. At first, he wanted to be a poet in Arabic language, but met professor of French origin. While at military school, at age 18, he has finished his first volume of short stories, which was to appear eleven years later as ''Houria'' (1984).


Military career, first novels, and Algerian trilogy

At age 23, Khadra graduated from the
Cherchell Cherchell (Arabic: شرشال) is a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, west of Algiers. It is the seat of Cherchell District in Tipaza Province. Under the names Iol and Caesarea, it was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the k ...
Military Academy (AMC), and joined the armed forces as a second
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
. He has published three collections of short stories and three novels under his real name between 1984 and 1989. In the early nineties, as a commander in the special forces, he was stationed at the Algerian-Moroccan border and in
Oran Province Oran Province ( ar, ولاية وهران, ) is a province (''wilayah'') in Algeria whose seat is the city of the same name. Geography It is located in the northwestern part of the country. Its population is 1,584,607 and it covers a total area ...
, during the military deployment against Islamic fundamentalists, AIS and
GIA ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
. He suffered three nervous breakdowns, escaped two ambushes and was three times forced to land in a helicopter. In order to avoid a 1988 regulation, obliging soldiers to submit any written works to a military censorship board, Khadra published his further works under different pseudonyms, including 'Commissaire Llob'. Brahim Llob is also the name of the protagonist in a series of detective novels – the incorruptible, increasingly helpless police detective, who uncovers the grievances of Algerian society, including corruption and cliquism, and as a result gets between the frontlines of the Islamists and the powerful elite. Following the publication of his first two books, Khadra could only get published abroad. To bypass the censorship, his wife signed his publishing contracts; in homage he later took as his pen name her first two names – Yasmina Khadra ("green jasmine blossom"). In 1997, Khadra published the detective novel ''Morituri'' (Eng. 2003), which was to bring him international recognition. Okacha Touita adapted and directed the film under the same title in 2004. Together with volumes ''Double Blank'' (1998, Eng. 2005) and ''Autumn of the Phantoms'' (1998, Eng. 2006), they form a trilogy, which portrays the
Algerian Civil War The Algerian Civil War ( ar, rtl=yes, الْحَرْبُ الْأَهْلِيَّةُ الجَزَائِرِيَّةُ, al-Ḥarb al-ʾAhlīyah al-Jazāʾirīyah) was a civil war in Algeria fought between the Algerian government and various Is ...
and its background in a way that is both authentic and interesting. He has written these novels with a European (French) readership in mind as they focus on the psychological and social causes of Islamic fundamentalism using precise documentary detail and emotional intensity. He describes, from perspective of inspector Llob, Algerian everyday life and its omnipresent violence – bombings, corruption and the lack of economic prospects for large parts of the population. With these novels, he has succeeded in anchoring the genre
detective novel Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...
in the Algerian literature. Together with his earlier books, ''Le Dingue au bistouri'' (1990) and ''La Foire des enfoirés'' (1993), they meet the formal criteria of the French roman noir subgenre. In the final volume, protagonist is discovered as the author behind the pseudonym Yasmina Khadra, is suspended from service, and dies. Khadra himself managed to escape the same fate. In 2000, he quit the army to concentrate on literature and went with his family into exile in France via Mexico.


France, over 30 novels

Khadra settled in
Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...
. In 2001, he has published autobiography entitled ''The Writer'' (''L'Écrivain''), in which he wrote about his life as a soldier and as a writer, receiving 'Médaille de vermeil' award from the
French Academy 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 ...
. That same year, he revealed his true identity. In respect for his wife, who had laid the economic basis for the new beginning in France through trips and negotiations with publishers, he decided to keep the pen name. His pseudonym posed initially a problem and rumors, from a public point of view it was a sensation: One of French critics noted eventually however: "A he or a she? It doesn't matter. What matters is that Yasmina Khadra is today one of Algeria's most important writers." Although Khadra lives in France, he does not allow himself to be absorbed by the western point of view, but rather advocates getting to know and understanding. His Algerian trilogy was followed in 2002 by '' The Swallows of Kabul'' (Eng. 2004), in which action takes place in 1998's
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. The novel depicts the dictatorship of the
Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
s and the condition of the Afghan woman. In an interview with the German radio station SWR1 in 2006, Khadra said: Adam Piore of ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' wrote: "Yet it is the journey into the beaten souls of Khandra's characters that makes this book so affecting. Few writers have so powerfully conveyed what it feels like to live in a totalitarian society, where uncompromising zealotry has thoroughly penetrated the national psyche. This book is a masterpiece of misery." ''The Swallows of Kabul'' was shortlisted for the IMPAC
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award ( ga, Duais Liteartha Idirnáisiúnta Bhaile Átha Chliath), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. ...
in 2006. The novel was adapted to
animated film Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
under the same title in 2019. In 2004, Khadra published crime novel ''Dead Man's Share'' (Eng. 2009), in which his character Llob becomes the plaything of the mighty in post-colonial Algeria. ''The Attack'' (2005, Eng. 2006) explores Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and follows the life of an Arab Israeli couple living in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
. The protagonist is a well-established medical doctor whose life is turned upside down when his wife becomes Islamist terrorist and a suicide bomber. The novel received several literary prizes in 2006, including Prix des libraires – a prize chosen by about five thousand bookstores in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada – as the first Algerian laureate. In 2008, ''The Attack'' was shortlisted for the
IMPAC The International Dublin Literary Award ( ga, Duais Liteartha Idirnáisiúnta Bhaile Átha Chliath), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. ...
award, his second work nominated. The novel's film adaptation, '' The Attack'' (2012) by
Ziad Doueiri Ziad Doueiri ( ar , زياد دويري ; born October 7, 1963) is a Lebanese film director, cinematographer and writer. He is best known for his award-winning films ''West Beirut'' (1998) and '' The Insult'' (2017), a film that was nominated a ...
, garnered positive critics' reviews. In ''The Sirens of Baghdad'', published in 2006 (Eng. 2007), Khadra looks at
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. '' What the Day Owes the Night'' (2008, Eng. 2010) is a saga that takes place in Algeria between 1930 and 1962 and depicts a courageous defense of the double Franco-Algerian culture. "Broader in its canvas then his page-turning stories of Baghdad or Kabul .tale of family, love and war ..Rich in incident and character (and ably translated by Frank Wynne), the novel shows us from within the colonised Algeria that
Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His works ...
– as he acknowledged – could only glimpse as an outsider." Film adaptation under the same title (2012) did not meet commercial expectations, but was positively reviewed. In 2011, Khadra has been awarded honorary Henri Gal Grand Prize for Literature by the French Academy. Reviewing his novel ''Cousin K'' (2003, Eng. 2013), Steve Emmet of the ''New York Journal of Books'' wrote "''Cousin K'' may be a small book but it is a giant of a literary work." In ''Khalil'' (2018, Eng. 2021), Khadra puts himself in the shoes of a Belgian terrorist of Moroccan origin, who blew himself up in Paris in November 2015. This novel was one of the best-selling books in France in 2018. His novels have been translated into 48 languages, and published in 56 countries. Besides film adaptations, including international productions, they were also adapted to theater, and comics. In 2007–2014, he served as director of the Algerian Cultural Center in Paris, at the request of
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 ...
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 ...
. Khadra was removed from this position, after he had described the fourth term of President as "absurdity".


2014 presidential campaign

On 2 November 2013, Khadra announced his candidacy for the presidency of Algeria. He was however unable to qualify, collecting only 43,000 of the 90,000 signatures required.


Publications


As Muhammad Moulessehoul

* 1984: ''Amen!'' (Algeria) * 1984: ''Houria: stories'' (Algeria) * 1985: ''La fille du pont'' (The girl on the bridge, Algeria) * 1986: ''El-Kahira, cellule de la mort'' (El Kahira: cell of death) * 1988: ''De l'autre coté de la ville'' (The other side of the city) * 1989: ''Le privilège du phénix'' (The privilege of the phoenix, Algeria)


As Yasmina Khadra

* 1990: ''Le Dingue au bistouri''. Book 1 of Superintendent Llob Series * 1993: ''La Foire des enfoirés: les enquêtes du Commissaire Llob'' (The Idiots' Fair: the Investigations of Commissioner Llob). Book 2 of Superintendent Llob Series * 1997: ''Morituri'', translated by
David Herman David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''. He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
(Toby Press, 2003). Book 3rd of Superintendent Llob Series, 1st of an Algerian trilogy * 1998: ''Double Blank'' (''Double blanc''), translated by Aubrey Botsford (Toby Press, 2005). Book 4 of Superintendent Llob Series, 2nd of an Algerian trilogy * 1998: ''Autumn of the Phantoms'' (''L'Automne des Chimères''), translated by Aubrey Botsford (Toby Press, 2006). Book 5 of Superintendent Llob Series, 3rd of an Algerian trilogy * 1998: ''In the Name of God'' (''Les Agneaux du Seigneur''), translated by Linda Black (2000) * 1999: ''Wolf Dreams'' (''À quoi rêvent les loups''), translated by Linda Black (2003). * 2001: ''The Writer'' (''L'Écrivain'') * 2002: ''The Imposture of Words'' (''L'Imposture des mots'') * 2002: '' The Swallows of Kabul'' (''Les Hirondelles de Kaboul''), translated by John Cullen (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2004) * 2003: ''Cousin K'', translated by
Donald Nicholson-Smith Donald Nicholson-Smith is a translator and freelance editor, interested in literature, art, psychoanalysis, social criticism, theory, history, crime fiction, and cinema.
, Alyson Waters * 2004: ''Dead Man's Share'' (''La part du mort''), translated by Aubrey Botsford (Toby Press, 2009). Book 6 of Superintendent Llob Series * 2005: ''The Attack'' (''L'Attentat''), translated by John Cullen (Nan A. Talese, 2006) * 2006: ''The Sirens of Baghdad'' (''Les Sirènes de Bagdad''), translated by John Cullen (Nan A. Talese, 2007) * 2008: '' What the Day Owes the Night'' (''Ce que le jour doit à la nuit''), translated by
Frank Wynne Frank Wynne (born 1962) is an Irish literary translator and writer. Born in County Sligo in the west of Ireland, he worked as a comics editor at Fleetway and later at comic magazine ''Deadline''. He worked for a time at AOL before becoming a l ...
(2010) * 2011: ''The African Equation'' (''L'Équation africaine''), translated by
Howard Curtis Howard Curtis (born 1949) is a British translator of French language, French, Italian language, Italian and Spanish language, Spanish fiction. He won the 2013 Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation for his translation from Italian o ...
(Gallic Books, 2015) * 2013: ''The Angels Die'' (''Les anges meurent de nos blessures''), translated by Howard Curtis (2016) * 2014: ''Qu'attendent les singes'' * 2015: ''The Dictator's Last Night'' (''La dernière nuit du rais''), translated by Julian Evans (Gallic Books, 2015) * 2016: ''Dieu n'habite pas La Havane'' * 2018: ''Khalil'' (''Khalil''), translated by John Cullen (Nan A. Talese, 2021) * 2022: ''Les Vertueux'', aux éditions Mialet-Barrault


Filmography

* 2014: '' Two Men in Town'', by
Rachid Bouchareb Rachid Bouchareb (born 1 September 1953) is a French film director and Film producer, producer. His films are based on the complex history of France and its relationship with its former colony, Algeria. His films also examine racial discriminati ...
, co-screenwriter


Film adaptations

* 2007: ''Morituri'', by Okacha Touita * 2007: ''
Dhokha ''Dhokha'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Pooja Bhatt, starring Muzammil Ibrahim and Tulip Joshi. Produced by Mukesh Bhatt and featuring music by M. M. Keeravani, the film revolves around a moderate Indian M ...
'', by
Pooja Bhatt Pooja Bhatt (born 24 February 1972) is an Indian film director, actress, voice over artist and film maker. Born into the Bhatt family, she is the daughter of Indian filmmaker, Mahesh Bhatt. Bhatt played her first leading role in Mahesh Bhatt's ...
* 2012: '' What the Day Owes the Night'', by
Alexandre Arcady Alexandre Arcady (born 17 March 1947) is a French actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Life and career Alexandre Arcady was born in Algiers, Algeria. He emigrated to France at the age of fifteen. His son is filmmaker Alexandre Aja. ...
* 2012: '' The Attack'', by
Ziad Doueiri Ziad Doueiri ( ar , زياد دويري ; born October 7, 1963) is a Lebanese film director, cinematographer and writer. He is best known for his award-winning films ''West Beirut'' (1998) and '' The Insult'' (2017), a film that was nominated a ...
* 2019: '' The Swallows of Kabul'', by
Zabou Breitman Zabou Breitman (born Isabelle Breitman; 30 October 1959), or simply Zabou, is a French actress and director. She is the daughter of actors Jean-Claude Deret and Céline Léger. At the age of four, she appeared in her first movie. Since 1981, Za ...


Awards and honors

*2001: 'Médaille de vermeil', an award by
Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...
upon proposal of
French Academy 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 ...
– ''The Writer'' * 2005: "Best Book of 2005" by the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' and ''The Christian Science Monitor'' * 2006: Prix des libraires, a prize chosen by about five thousand bookstores in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada – ''The Attack'' (''L'Attentat'') * 2006: Prix Tropiques ( AFD Literary Prize) – ''The Attack'' * 2011: Henri Gal Literature Grand Prize, an honorary award by
Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...
upon proposal of
French Academy 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 ...
* 2018:
Grand Prix of Literary Associations The Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) were launched in 2013 in Cameroon, in partnership with Brasseries du Cameroun and sponsorship by Castel Beer. The GPLA are defined as bilingual English-and-French literary prizes, some being awar ...
(Belles-Lettres category) – ''Khalil''


See also

*
Algerian literature Algerian literature has been influenced by many cultures, including the ancient Romans, Arabs, French, Spanish, and Berbers. The dominant languages in Algerian literature are French and Arabic. A few of the more notable Algerian writers are: K ...
*
List of Algerian writers This is a list of notable Algerian writers: A *Ferhat Abbas (1899–1985), political leader and essayist *Mohamed Aïchaoui (1921–1959), political leader and journalist * Salim Aïssa, pseudonym of Boukella, writer of detective fiction * W ...
*
African literature African literature is literature from Africa, either oral ("orature") or written in African and Afro-Asiatic languages. Examples of pre-colonial African literature can be traced back to at least the fourth century AD. The best-known is the ''Keb ...
*
List of African writers by country This is a list of prominent and notable writers from Africa. It includes poets, novelists, children's writers, essayists, and scholars, listed by country. Algeria ''See: List of Algerian writers'' Angola ''See: List of Angolan writers'' Ben ...


References


External links

*
''The Swallows of Kabul'' review: Mohammed Moulessehoul, the real 'Yasmina Khadra
– ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
''What the Day Owes the Night'' review: Love and Nostalgia in Times of War
Qantara.de {{DEFAULTSORT:Khadra, Yasmina Algerian novelists Exophonic writers 1955 births Living people People from Kénadsa Algerian military personnel Algerian writers in French 20th-century novelists 21st-century novelists Prix des libraires winners 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century Algerian people