Assia Djebar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Assia Djebar
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Assia Djebar in 1992
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| Born | Fatima-Zohra Imalayen 30 June 1936 Cherchell, Colonial Algeria |
| Died | 6 February 2015 (aged 78) Paris, France |
| Occupation | novelist, essayist, professor |
| Nationality | Algerian |
| Alma mater | École normale supérieure |
| Subject | Feminism |
| Notable works | La soif, Les impatients, Les enfants du nouveau monde, Les alouettes naïves |
| Notable awards | Neustadt International Prize for Literature, Yourcenar Prize |
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Fatima-Zohra Imalayen (born June 30, 1936 – died February 6, 2015) was a famous Algerian writer, translator, and filmmaker. She was known by her pen name, Assia Djebar (Arabic: آسيا جبار).
Many of her books and films talked about the challenges women faced in society. She was a strong supporter of women's rights and is often linked to movements that promoted women's writing. Her stories often explored the lives of Algerian women and their history.
Assia Djebar is seen as one of the most important and influential writers from North Africa. In 2005, she became the first writer from the Maghreb region (Northwest Africa) to be chosen for the Académie française. This is a very important French group that protects the French language. She also won the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1996 for all her amazing work. Many people thought she might even win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
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Early Life and Education
Fatima-Zohra Imalayen was born on June 30, 1936, in Cherchell, Algeria. Her family was of Berber origin. She grew up in Cherchell, a small town by the sea near Algiers.
Her father taught French at the primary school she attended. Later, Assia Djebar went to a special boarding school in Blida. She was one of only two girls there. She then went to a high school in Algiers, where she was the only Muslim student in her class.
In 1955, she became the first Algerian and Muslim woman to study at the École normale supérieure de jeunes filles. This was one of France's best schools. Her studies were stopped for a while because of the Algerian War. But she later continued her education in Tunis.
Career as a Writer and Filmmaker
In 1957, Assia Djebar chose her pen name for her first novel, La Soif (which means "The Thirst"). Her next book, Les Impatients, came out the following year.
From 1959 to 1962, she taught at the University of Rabat. After that, she taught at the University of Algiers. She even became the head of the French section there.
In 1962, Djebar went back to Algeria and published Les Enfants du Nouveau Monde. In 1967, she released Les Alouettes Naïves. She lived in Paris for many years before returning to Algeria again.
In 1985, Djebar published L'Amour, la fantasia. This book showed her mixed feelings about language and her identity. She was a Western-educated, Algerian, feminist, and Muslim intellectual. She also thought about her role as a voice for Algerian women and women everywhere.
In 1997, Djebar became the director of the Center of French and Francophone Studies at Louisiana State University. She held this job until 2001.
In 2005, Assia Djebar was chosen for the Académie française. This is a very important literary group in France. Its members are called "immortals" and are chosen for life. She was the first writer from North Africa and only the fifth woman to join this academy. She also worked as a professor at New York University.
Assia Djebar was known for speaking up for reforms in Islam across the Arab world. She especially pushed for more rights for women.
She passed away in Paris, France, in February 2015, at the age of 78.
Awards and Recognition
Assia Djebar received many important awards for her work:
- In 1985, she won the Franco-Arab Friendship Prize for L'Amour la Fantasia.
- In 1996, she won the famous Neustadt International Prize for Literature. This award recognized her great contributions to world literature.
- The next year, she won the Marguerite Yourcenar Prize.
- In 1998, she won the International Prize of Palmi.
- In 2000, she received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.
Tribute
On June 30, 2017, Google honored Assia Djebar with a special Google Doodle. This was for her 81st birthday. The Doodle was shown in all countries of the Arab world.
Works
- La Soif, 1957 (English: The Mischief)
- Les impatients, 1958
- Les Enfants du Nouveau Monde, 1962 (English: Children of the New World: a novel)
- Les Alouettes naïves, 1967
- Poème pour une algérie heureuse, 1969
- Rouge l'aube
- L'Amour, la fantasia, 1985 (English: Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade)
- Ombre sultane 1987 (English: A Sister to Scheherazade)
- Loin de Médine (English: Far from Medina)
- Vaste est la prison, 1995 (English: So Vast the Prison)
- Le blanc de l'Algérie, 1996 (English: Algerian White)
- Oran, langue morte, 1997 (English: The Tongue's Blood Does Not Run Dry: Algerian Stories)
- Les Nuits de Strasbourg, 1997
- Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement (English: Women of Algiers in Their Apartment)
- La femme sans sépulture, 2002
- La disparition de la langue française, 2003
- Nulle part dans la maison de mon père, 2008
Cinema
- La Nouba des femmes du Mont Chenoua, 1977
- La Zerda ou les chants de l'oubli, 1979
See also
In Spanish: Assia Djebar para niños
