Ahlam Mosteghanemi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahlam Mosteghanemi
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Mosteghanemi at Beirut Book Fair 2012
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| Born | April 13, 1953 Tunis, French Tunisia |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | Arabic |
| Nationality | Algerian |
| Alma mater | University of Algiers (BA) Sorbonne University (PhD) |
| Notable works |
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Ahlam Mosteghanemi (Arabic: أحلام مستغانمي) was born on April 13, 1953, in Tunisia. She is a famous Algerian poet and writer. She was the first Algerian woman to write poems and stories in Arabic.
Ahlam Mosteghanemi has written many books. Her 1993 novel, Memory of the Flesh, is very well-known. She has been recognized as one of the most influential Arab people.
Contents
About Ahlam Mosteghanemi
Her Early Life and Schooling
Ahlam Mosteghanemi's family came from a city called Constantine in Algeria. Her father was an Algerian nationalist. This means he strongly supported Algeria becoming independent.
In 1945, there were big riots in Sétif. Her father was put in prison after these events. Two of his brothers sadly died during this time.
He was set free in 1947. Then, his family moved to Tunis, Tunisia. Ahlam Mosteghanemi was born there in 1953.
Her father kept working for Algeria's independence. When Algeria became independent in 1962, he got important jobs in the new government.
Later, in 1965, there was a change in government. Her father became very upset and ill. He was sent to a hospital in Algiers.
When her father was sick, Ahlam Mosteghanemi helped her family. She was the oldest child. She worked as a radio host to earn money.
When she was seventeen, she became popular in Algeria. She had a daily poetry show called Hammassat, which means "Whispers."
In 1973, she made history. She was the first woman to publish a book of poetry in Arabic. It was called Ala Marfa al Ayam (To the Day's Haven).
Ahlam Mosteghanemi was part of the first group of Algerians who could study and write in Arabic. Before this, the French had stopped Algerians from doing so for over 100 years.
She earned her first degree in Literature from the University of Algiers. She also worked for women's rights.
Because of her strong opinions, she was not allowed to join a Master's program. The university said her ideas might affect other students. She was also removed from the Union of Algerian Writers.
So, Ahlam Mosteghanemi went to France to continue her studies. She earned a PhD in sociology from Sorbonne University. Her special project was about how women are shown in literature.
Her Writing Journey
Ahlam Mosteghanemi lived in Paris for fifteen years. During this time, she wrote for different magazines. She also started writing parts of what would become her first novel.
She explained why she changed from writing poems to writing stories. She said, "When we lose a love, one writes a poem. When we lose our homeland, one writes a novel."
She always thought about Algeria. She said, "There are countries that we live in and countries that live in us."
In 1993, Mosteghanemi moved to Lebanon. Her first novel, Zakirat el Jassad (Memory of the Flesh), was published there.
The publisher called it a poetic love story. It also talked about the feelings of a generation of Arabs. They thought it would be very popular.
A famous Arab poet, Nizar Qabbani, wrote to her. He said, "This novel gave me vertigo." This means it made him feel amazed.
The former Algerian President, Ben Bella, also praised her. He said, "Ahlam is an Algerian sun that illuminates the Arab world."
Memory of the Flesh won the Naguib Mahfouz Prize in 1998. This is a very important award in Arabic literature. It also won the Nour Prize for the best female work in Arabic.
The judges said, "Ahlam is a light that shines in darkness." They also said she helped Algerian writers use Arabic again. By 2008, over 130,000 copies of Memory of the Flesh had been sold.
She wrote two more novels that continued the story. These were Fawda el Hawas (The Chaos of Senses) in 1997 and Aber Sareer (Bed Hopper) in 2003.
In 2010, she published Nessyan.com (The Art of Forgetting). This book was a guide for women dealing with breakups. It helped her connect with more female readers.
In 2012, her novel, El Aswad Yalikou Biki (Black Suits You So Well), came out. The story is about a young Algerian teacher. Her father, a singer, was killed by terrorists. These terrorists were against art and joy.
The novel shows how hard it is to stand up to terrorism. It also shows the challenges of facing the power of money and media.
In 2001, Mosteghanemi started the Malek Haddad Literary Prize. This award helps encourage more Algerians to write in Arabic.
Since June 2008, she has been a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations. This means she helps promote peace and understanding around the world.
Her Personal Life
Ahlam Mosteghanemi married Georges El Rassi in Paris in 1976. He is a journalist from Lebanon. They have three sons together. They live in Beirut, Lebanon.
Her Books
Novels
- Zakirat el Jassad (Memory in the Flesh/The Bridges of Constantine) - Published in 1993. Many critics see it as a very important book in Arabic literature.
- Fawda el Hawas (Chaos of the Senses) - Published in 1997.
- Aber Sareer (Bed Hopper) - Published in 2003.
- El Aswad Yalikou Biki (Black Suits You so Well) - Published in 2012.
Anthologies (Collections of Writings)
- Ala Marfa al Ayam (In the Harbour of Days) - Published in 1973.
- Al Kitaba fi Lahdat Ouray (Writing in a Moment of ...) - Published in 1976.
- Algérie, femmes et écriture (Algeria, Women and Writings) - Published in 1985.
- Akadib Samaka (Lies of a Fish) - Published in 1993.
- Nessyane.com (The Art of Forgetting) - Published in 2009.
- Shahiyyan ka firâq (Delicious as Parting Dreams) - Published in 2018.
Awards and Honors
- She was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace in Paris in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Ahlem Mosteghanemi para niños
- The Passenger Of a Bed
- Forgetting.com
- Black Suits You so Well
