Prize-Winning Novelist Faces Plagiarism Claims
Kamel Daoud, celebrated for his novels about Algeria's civil war, faces allegations of having appropriated a woman's life story for his latest book. The dispute has escalated into a broader debate about literary ethics and the boundaries of storytelling, raising questions about how authors should handle real-life inspiration.
- The novel at the center of the controversy is "Houris," which won France's most prestigious literary award, the Prix Goncourt, in November 2024. The book, set during Algeria's civil war in the 1990s, known as the "Black Decade," has not been published in Algeria. - A woman named Saâda Arbane has accused Daoud of using her life story for the novel's protagonist. Arbane is a survivor of the civil war who lost the use of her voice after her throat was slit by an Islamist militant. - Arbane claims she recounted her traumatic experiences to Daoud's wife, Aicha Dehdouh, who was her therapist. She alleges that Daoud and his wife had previously asked to write her story, but she had refused. - Two lawsuits have been filed in Oran, Algeria, against Daoud and his wife, alleging violation of medical confidentiality and defamation. Arbane is also suing Daoud and his publisher, Gallimard, in France for invasion of privacy and libel. - In May 2025, Algeria issued international arrest warrants for Kamel Daoud and his wife, which Daoud's lawyer has stated he will challenge through Interpol. - Daoud and his publisher, Gallimard, deny the allegations, stating the novel's characters and plot are "purely fictional." They claim Daoud is the target of "violent and defamatory campaigns" orchestrated by media close to the Algerian regime. - Daoud moved to France in 2023, stating he could neither "write nor breathe" in Algeria. His publisher was barred from the 2024 Algiers book fair, which many suspected was due to the publication of "Houris."
