Ahlam Mosteghanemi
Ahlam Mosteghanemi أحلام مستغانمي
Ahlam Mosteghanemi is a contemporary Algerian poet and novelist. She is also arguably the most successful Arabic writer of her time. She was born in exile and during a time of great turmoil in Algeria. Her experiences as the daughter of a French teacher turned Algerian liberation fighter, shaped her vision and provided inspiration for her writing. As one of the first students in the new Arabic schools in independent Algeria, she puts tremendous value on being able to write and express herself freely in Arabic. When her father was unable to provide for the family, she decided to take care of the family. But her father was against her working. He wanted her to study Arabic; that is what he had fought for. Somehow, she managed to do both. She was first noticed for her bold Arabic poetry which had, until then, always belonged to Algerian men. As her boldness was expressed in Arabic, it sent a shock wave through the Algerian writing community. She was eventually forced to do her graduate studies abroad. She gracefully made the switch from poetry to novels over many years. When she finally released her first novel, it became an instant best-seller in the Arab world, as did her next four novels. Delving into human tragedy and unfulfilled dreams, her novels have universal appeal.
Translated Titles by Ahlam Mosteghanemi
In the midst of the Algerian civil war, Hayat is a young novelist trapped in a loveless marriage. While her husband, a high-ranking officer, preoccupies himself with politics, Hayat finds freedom from her highly regimented life in the world of her writing. There she weaves a passionate story for her characters. But the line between fiction and reality blurs when she falls for a man who seems to have walked straight out of the pages of her notebook, a man who seduces her, instead of her heroine, with his silence. In a place where those who dare to write the truth are made to pay a heavy price, she and her characters will discover that no one can truly be the author of their own destiny.
Spanning more than half a century of Algeria's tumultuous recent history, The Dust of Promises is a lyrical love story about freedom and fate, identity and belonging.
A poignant tale of secret lovers brought together and pulled apart as they navigate Algeria's changing political landscape--from the heady, bright peaks of independence to the dark depths of corruption and disillusionment--this is a sweeping epic and an arresting ode to a once-great country.