"Kamel Daoud arrives for his interview in Berlin in a black limousine, accompanied by two men dressed in black who never leave his side. The Algerian writer, who now lives in France, is under police protection: his latest book not only won him France's most prestigious literary prize, the Prix Goncourt it has also put him in grave danger. "Houris" is a novel that recounts the massacres and torture that took place during the Algerian civil war."
"Not only is it taboo to discuss the war in Algeria, but in 2005 a law was passed forbidding it ostensibly to promote "national reconciliation." "When you write a novel like this, you make enemies of Islamists, the regime, and even intellectuals from the extreme left-wing decolonial movement," says Daoud. "You don't please anyone. A 17-year-old idiot with something to prove can be as much of a threat as the regime.""
"Originally published in French, a German verion of 'Houris' ('Huris') was published in 2025Image: Matthes & Seitz Berlin In addition, a woman has filed a civil lawsuit against the writer, accusing him of basing the central character on her own story without permission. Daoud claims that this is defamation, and alleges that the legal action was orchestrated by the regime."
A prize-winning novel titled 'Houris' recounts massacres and torture from the Algerian civil war and has provoked severe backlash. The novelist lives in France and remains under police protection after receiving the Prix Goncourt, while facing threats and legal actions. Algerian authorities have banned the book, removed all of the novelist's works from stores, and issued two international arrest warrants that Interpol did not accept. A woman filed a civil lawsuit alleging a central character was based on her story without permission; the novelist calls it defamation and alleges the suit was orchestrated by the regime. The Algerian government seeks to suppress public discussion of the 1990s civil war.
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