The trio of Inam Bioud, El Hachemi Karach, and Abdelaziz Othmani were awarded the Assia Djebar Prize for Literature in its 7th edition on Tuesday evening in Algiers.
The award ceremony, held under the theme “Resilient Pens,” honored the veteran writer and translator Inam Bioud with the Arabic language prize for her novel “Houaria.” El Hachemi Karach received the Tamazight language prize for his novel “1954… Tilleli ousirem,” while the French language prize went to Abdelaziz Othmani for his novel “Lune en miettes.”
The shortlists for the prize, organized by the National Publishing and Advertising Agency (ANEP), included 11 novels: five in Arabic, three in Tamazight, and three in French.
The 2024 edition saw the participation of 150 novels, including 86 in Arabic, 10 in Tamazight, and 55 in French. The longlist featured 24 novels: 12 in Arabic, five in Tamazight, and seven in French.
In her speech, Minister of Culture and Arts Souria Mouloudji praised the exceptional writer Assia Djebar, highlighting her unique relationship with her national culture and her role in preserving Algeria’s values and practices through her esteemed literary works.
The minister also revealed that, under the guidance of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria is working on establishing a system of awards to further enrich the cultural and literary scene and to encourage competitiveness in literary and artistic creativity.
The ceremony was attended by members of the government, state officials, representatives of national companies, and a distinguished group of writers and intellectuals. Also present were the Director General of the National Publishing and Advertising Agency, Massoud Al Gham, and a representative from the Presidential Communication Directorate.
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Assia Djebar Prize winners
