Ahlam Mosteghanemi
Encyclopedia
Ahlam Mosteghanemi is a notable Algerian
writer born in Tunis
, the daughter of revolutionary leader Mohammed Chérif. She is the first female Algerian author of Arabic-language works to be translated into English (famous Algerian novelist Assia Djebar
writes in French). Thus far, the first two of a trilogy have been translated. They are Memory in the Flesh and Chaos of the Senses. They reflect and feature the Algerian struggle for postcolonial success and security.
became a central meeting point for resistance fighters allied to the Algerian People’s Party including her father and cousins. After independence, in 1962, the family returned to Algeria
, where Ahlam was sent to the country’s first Arabic-language school.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she became one of the first Algerian Arabic writers, broadcasting her poetry on national radio to support her family due to her father’s ill-health. She earned a B.A. in Arabic Literature
from the University of Algiers
in 1973, and also published her first poetry collection, Ala’ Marfa Al Ayam (the harbour of days).
In 1982, she received her Ph.D. in Sociology
from the Sorbonne
in Paris (her thesis was published by L’Harmattan as Algerie, Femmes et l’Ecriture), where she had moved in the late 1970s. She married a Lebanese journalist and moved to Beirut, where she published her first novel, Memory in the Flesh (Zakirat al Jassad) in 1993. To date, it has sold over a million copies across the Arabic-speaking world. It was translated into English by the American University in Cairo
Press in 2000, after winning the 1998 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
.
Ahlem Mosteghanemi currently lives in Beirut
, Lebanon
with her husband and has 3 children. http://www.123people.com/ext/frm?ti=person%20finder&search_term=ahlam%20mosteghanemi&search_country=US&st=person%20finder&target_url=http%3A%2F%2Flrd.yahooapis.com%2F_ylc%3DX3oDMTVnZWZ0cTZoBF9TAzIwMjMxNTI3MDIEYXBwaWQDc1k3Wlo2clYzNEhSZm5ZdGVmcmkzRUx4VG5makpERG5QOWVKV1NGSkJHcTJ1V1dFa0xVdm5IYnNBeUNyVkd5Y2REVElUX2tlBGNsaWVudANib3NzBHNlcnZpY2UDQk9TUwRzbGsDdGl0bGUEc3JjcHZpZANpLk93Q0dLSWNycDhLVUZxMUNBZTN4WjlXODV4aGt0d1NtRUFDenAz%2FSIG%3D12udmambb%2F**http%253A%2F%2Fpenatlas.org%2Fonline%2Findex.php%253Foption%3Dcom_content%2526task%3Dview%2526id%3D92%2526Itemid%3D16§ion=biography&wrt_id=110]
1)Memory in the Flesh - Published by Dar Al-Adab, Beirut, 1993, 34 printed editions. Considered by critics as the most important work of Arabic fiction and one of the Top 100 Arab novels published during the last century.
2)Chaos of the Senses - Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 1997, 30 printed editions.
3)Passer-by a Bed - Published by Ahlem Mosteghanemi in Beirut 2003, 22 printed editions. http://penatlas.org/online/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=92&Itemid=16
ANTHOLOGIES
1)In the Harbour of Days - Published by SNED in Algers 1973
2)Writing in a moment of nudity - Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 1976
3)Algeria: Women and Writings - Published by l'Harmattan in Paris 1985
4)Lies of a Fish - Published by l'ENAG in Algers 1993 http://www.mosteghanemi.com/english/Works.htm
5) nessyane.com - Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 2009
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
1)Academic research for her doctoral thesis, Paris 1982, supervised by Jacques Berque
. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2005/01/13/feature-0
UNESCO
has printed all her work in Braille for blind readers.
She lectured and worked as a visiting professor in many universities around the world including: The American University of Beirut
, 1995 - University of Maryland
, 1999 - University of Sorbonne
, 2002 - Montpellier University, 2002 - University of Lyon
, 2003 - Yale University
, 2005 - MIT Boston, 2005 - University of Michigan
, 2005.
Identified by Forbes
Magazine as:
The most successful Arabic writer, having exceeded sales of 2,300,000.
One of the ten most influential women in the Arab world and the leading woman in literature.
Received the Shield of Al Jimar Foundation for Arabic Creativity in Tripoli – Libya, 2007.
Named the Algerian Cultural Personality of the year 2007 by Algerian News Magazine and the Algerian Press Club.
Selected for three years in a row (2006, 2007 and 2008) as one of the 100 most powerful public figures in the Arab World by Arabian Business
Magazine, ranking at number 58 in 2008. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power100/profile/508
Named The Most Distinguished Arab Woman of 2006 (selected from 680 nominated women) by the Arab Women Studies Center Paris / Dubai.
Awarded a medal of honor from Abdelaziz Bouteflika
the President of Algeria
in 2006.
Received the Medal of Appreciation and Gratitude from Sheikh Abdelhamid Ben Badis Foundation, Constantine, 2006.
Received the Pioneers of Lebanon Committee Medal for her overall work 2004.
Received the George Tarabeh Prize for Culture and Creativity, Lebanon
, 1999.
Received the Amman
Loyalty Medal for Creativity, Amman
, Jordan
1999.
Received the Naguib Mahfouz
Prize for Memory of the Flesh in 1998. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2005/01/13/feature-01
Received the Nour Foundation Prize for Women's Creativity, Cairo, 1996.
Algerian
Algerian may refer to:* Something of, or related to Algeria* A person or people from Algeria, or of Algerian descent. For information about the Algerian people, see Demographics of Algeria and Culture of Algeria. For specific Algerians, see List of Algerians....
writer born in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, the daughter of revolutionary leader Mohammed Chérif. She is the first female Algerian author of Arabic-language works to be translated into English (famous Algerian novelist Assia Djebar
Assia Djebar
Assia Djebar is the pen-name of Fatima-Zohra Imalayen , an Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker. Most of her works deal with obstacles faced by women, and she is noted for her feminist stance. Djebar is considered to be one of North Africa's pre-eminent and most influential writers...
writes in French). Thus far, the first two of a trilogy have been translated. They are Memory in the Flesh and Chaos of the Senses. They reflect and feature the Algerian struggle for postcolonial success and security.
Her Life
By the time she was born, her father had already been imprisoned after the 1945 riots. When the Algerian war broke out in 1954, her family home in TunisiaTunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
became a central meeting point for resistance fighters allied to the Algerian People’s Party including her father and cousins. After independence, in 1962, the family returned to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, where Ahlam was sent to the country’s first Arabic-language school.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she became one of the first Algerian Arabic writers, broadcasting her poetry on national radio to support her family due to her father’s ill-health. She earned a B.A. in Arabic Literature
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
from the University of Algiers
University of Algiers
The University of Algiers Benyoucef Benkhedda is a university located in Algiers, Algeria. It was founded in 1909 and is organized into seven faculties.-History:...
in 1973, and also published her first poetry collection, Ala’ Marfa Al Ayam (the harbour of days).
In 1982, she received her Ph.D. in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris (her thesis was published by L’Harmattan as Algerie, Femmes et l’Ecriture), where she had moved in the late 1970s. She married a Lebanese journalist and moved to Beirut, where she published her first novel, Memory in the Flesh (Zakirat al Jassad) in 1993. To date, it has sold over a million copies across the Arabic-speaking world. It was translated into English by the American University in Cairo
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
Press in 2000, after winning the 1998 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
The Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature is a literary award for Arabic literature. It is given to the best contemporary novel written in Arabic, but not available in English translation. The winning book is then translated into English, and published by American University in Cairo Press...
.
Ahlem Mosteghanemi currently lives in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
with her husband and has 3 children. http://www.123people.com/ext/frm?ti=person%20finder&search_term=ahlam%20mosteghanemi&search_country=US&st=person%20finder&target_url=http%3A%2F%2Flrd.yahooapis.com%2F_ylc%3DX3oDMTVnZWZ0cTZoBF9TAzIwMjMxNTI3MDIEYXBwaWQDc1k3Wlo2clYzNEhSZm5ZdGVmcmkzRUx4VG5makpERG5QOWVKV1NGSkJHcTJ1V1dFa0xVdm5IYnNBeUNyVkd5Y2REVElUX2tlBGNsaWVudANib3NzBHNlcnZpY2UDQk9TUwRzbGsDdGl0bGUEc3JjcHZpZANpLk93Q0dLSWNycDhLVUZxMUNBZTN4WjlXODV4aGt0d1NtRUFDenAz%2FSIG%3D12udmambb%2F**http%253A%2F%2Fpenatlas.org%2Fonline%2Findex.php%253Foption%3Dcom_content%2526task%3Dview%2526id%3D92%2526Itemid%3D16§ion=biography&wrt_id=110]
Her
Work NOVELS1)Memory in the Flesh - Published by Dar Al-Adab, Beirut, 1993, 34 printed editions. Considered by critics as the most important work of Arabic fiction and one of the Top 100 Arab novels published during the last century.
2)Chaos of the Senses - Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 1997, 30 printed editions.
3)Passer-by a Bed - Published by Ahlem Mosteghanemi in Beirut 2003, 22 printed editions. http://penatlas.org/online/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=92&Itemid=16
ANTHOLOGIES
1)In the Harbour of Days - Published by SNED in Algers 1973
2)Writing in a moment of nudity - Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 1976
3)Algeria: Women and Writings - Published by l'Harmattan in Paris 1985
4)Lies of a Fish - Published by l'ENAG in Algers 1993 http://www.mosteghanemi.com/english/Works.htm
5) nessyane.com - Published by Dar Al-Adab in Beirut 2009
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
1)Academic research for her doctoral thesis, Paris 1982, supervised by Jacques Berque
Jacques Berque
Jacques Augustin Berque was a French Islamic scholar and sociologist. His expertise was the decolonisation of Algeria and Morocco.-Biography:...
. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2005/01/13/feature-0
UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
has printed all her work in Braille for blind readers.
Her Literary Work in the Curriculum
Ahlam Mosteghanemi's novels have been adopted in the curricula of several universities and high schools worldwide, and dozens of university theses and research papers have been based upon her work. The French Ministry of Education has used parts of Memory of the Flesh for the French baccalaureate tests in 2003 in 15 countries where students chose Arabic as a second language. Her work has been translated into several foreign languages by prestigious publishing houses, including pocket books in French and English. http://penatlas.org/online/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=92&Itemid=16She lectured and worked as a visiting professor in many universities around the world including: The American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
, 1995 - University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, 1999 - University of Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, 2002 - Montpellier University, 2002 - University of Lyon
University of Lyon
The University of Lyon , located in Lyon and Saint Etienne, France, is a center for higher education and research comprising 16 institutions of higher education...
, 2003 - Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 2005 - MIT Boston, 2005 - University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, 2005.
Awards and honors
Awarded The Shield of Beirut by the Governor of Beirut in a special ceremony held at Unesco Palace attended by 1500 people at the time her book “nessyane.com” was published in 2009.Identified by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
Magazine as:
The most successful Arabic writer, having exceeded sales of 2,300,000.
One of the ten most influential women in the Arab world and the leading woman in literature.
Received the Shield of Al Jimar Foundation for Arabic Creativity in Tripoli – Libya, 2007.
Named the Algerian Cultural Personality of the year 2007 by Algerian News Magazine and the Algerian Press Club.
Selected for three years in a row (2006, 2007 and 2008) as one of the 100 most powerful public figures in the Arab World by Arabian Business
Arabian Business
Arabian Business is the Middle East's best selling weekly business magazine. The magazine focuses on the English and Arabic speaking communities and is published in both languages.-Arabian Business:Arabian Business is audited by BPA Worldwide...
Magazine, ranking at number 58 in 2008. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power100/profile/508
Named The Most Distinguished Arab Woman of 2006 (selected from 680 nominated women) by the Arab Women Studies Center Paris / Dubai.
Awarded a medal of honor from Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika is the ninth President of Algeria. He has been in office since 1999. He continued emergency rule until 24 February 2011, and presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002...
the President of Algeria
President of Algeria
The President of Algeria is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Algerian armed forces.-History of the office:...
in 2006.
Received the Medal of Appreciation and Gratitude from Sheikh Abdelhamid Ben Badis Foundation, Constantine, 2006.
Received the Pioneers of Lebanon Committee Medal for her overall work 2004.
Received the George Tarabeh Prize for Culture and Creativity, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, 1999.
Received the Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
Loyalty Medal for Creativity, Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
1999.
Received the Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie...
Prize for Memory of the Flesh in 1998. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2005/01/13/feature-01
Received the Nour Foundation Prize for Women's Creativity, Cairo, 1996.
External links
- Ahlam Mosteghanemi website
- Ahlam Mosteghanemi Arab author
- A Review of Memory And Desire by Ferial Ghazoul, Al-ahram Weekly