Abdullah Majidi shares his views on trends in Algerian literature, influence of classic as well as world literature, and the female writers of Algeria
Nasir Aijaz
[Abdullah Majidi is a young writer of Algeria, who has authored several novels. Based in Barhoum town of M’sila city and province, Abdullah Majidi, had an online interview with Sindh Courier and spoke about literary trends, influence of international literature on Algerian writers and many other aspects including the role of female writers in his country. Here is the full text of conversation.]
When did you start your literary career, and what are the basic themes of your literary works?
I began my literary career at an early age, authoring several books. My works primarily revolve around human issues. I explore oppression and the struggles inflicted by humans upon one another, forming the core of my literary thought. My writing fluidly navigates various humanitarian concerns, employing poetic language that deeply immerses the reader, allowing them to visualize and grasp the essence of narratives.
Would you share the names of some of your novels and their themes?
Yes sure. My book “Cruel Embraces” is a collection of short stories exploring individual experiences within the social system. This collection was published by Khayal Publishing, Distribution, and Translation House in Algeria in early 2019.
The other one is “Whom Shall I Blame, Father?” – A novel addressing various social, political, and philosophical issues such as oppression, injustice, ignorance, dogmatism, and other societal concerns. The novel was published in two editions: an Algerian edition by Wamda Publishing, Distribution, and Translation House in 2021 and a Jordanian edition by the Arab Literature Center Publishing House in 2024. It was shortlisted for the Arab World Prize in Paris in 2021.
Third one is “Walking in the Footsteps of the Ancestors” – A novel discussing the replication of the past as a way of life in the present. It was published in Jordan by the Arab Literature Center in 2023.
“I Will Always Love You” is another novel that delves into human emotions and inner experiences, targeted at young readers. It was first published electronically in 2019 by Qisas & Hikayat Publishing in Morocco and gained widespread recognition.
Additionally, I wrote a poem titled “Algeria,” which was published in Babel magazine in Iraq.
Share your views about literary trends in Algeria
I see Algerian literature as intellectually and linguistically diverse. There are writers who write in different languages, such as Arabic and French, and there are many trends that distinguish the literature here. There is no common ideology or single intellectual color, and this is what made Algerian literature reach universality. There are left-wing writers and there are right-wing writers, and various novels and books that emulate the diversity within the linguistically and culturally rich Algerian society.
As for its trends, I see the classical trend as the dominant trend in Algerian literature, in addition to the realistic trend.
Algerian literature is in constant development process, and it has a great influence in the upgrading of Arabic literature, and from the writers who put their mark in us. We find Assia Djebar, Ahlam Mostaghanemi, and other iconic Algerian writers, who won prestigious prizes such as the Arab Booker and Katara Award. Assia was the poet and writer nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Also, Algerian literature varies in formalities and elements, and is diverse in ideologies. We find many ideas that make up Algerian literature. Even the Algerian reader is diverse, so we find many readers reading foreign languages’ literature. As I told, there is a diversity in readers, some of them read the historical novels and some of them read the political novels and other literature. There are those who read the wonders, there is a great diversity in thought and the reader.
What about influence of world literature?
As for the influence of world literature on Algerian literature, everyone knows that literature is the product of a series of experiences and accumulations. The impact of global literature on Algerian literature is clear, whether in renewal or in thought and almost everything has an effect.
It is an illusion to believe that a literary work has an independent existence, that it appears integrated within a literary field filled with previous works.
Based on this statement by Todorov, we can explain the influence of world literature on Algerian literature, especially in the genre of the novel. Algerian novelists, with their various intellectual and ideological orientations, are greatly influenced by world literature, whether in style or intellectual perceptions.
How do you see the reading habits of Algerian people?
Reading habits in Algeria do not differ from reading habits in the Arab world. There are two types of readers. The first type searches for valuable books that can add something to his intellectual balance. Even if the number of books he reads is small, in the end he will benefit. As for the second type, which is the most common in recent times, he only reads for the sake of excitement, shortening the path to books of suspense and horror. He also reads hastily and quickly, not trying to comprehend what he reads.
How many literary books are published in Algeria on an average?
The number of books published in Algeria ranges between 1,000 and 3,000 annually.
You have mentioned earlier some names of female writers. Would you share your views on role and influence of female Algerian writers?
Despite the conservative environment that characterizes Algeria, the Algerian female writers have contributed to bringing Algerian literature to the world. For example, I would mention the writer Ahlem Mosteghanemi, who had a great influence, as she won many prestigious awards and her novel ‘Memory in the Flesh’ was classified among the best hundred Arabic novels throughout history. The late Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella said about her that ‘Ahlem is an Algerian sun that illuminated Arabic literature’, and the writer Assia Djebar is considered the ‘Queen of Algerian literature’, as she is the first Algerian to win the Neustadt Prize, and the first Algerian to be nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Algerian literature is full of a long list of great female writers.
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About Abdallah Madjidi
Abdallah Madjidi was born on September 11, 1999, in Ain El Melh, M’Sila Province, Algeria. He began his education at Khairuddin Tarfaia School in Mohamed Boudiaf Municipality, where he completed his primary studies. He then moved to Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Middle School for one year before transferring to Kachi Al-Bashir Middle School in Maqran, where he studied for nearly three years. He later continued his middle school education at Qatoush Al-Ayashi Middle School in Dehahna Municipality. For his secondary education, he attended Abdullah bin Ghanem Al-Daraji High School, from which he graduated with a Baccalaureate degree in 2020. He then pursued higher education at Mohamed Boudiaf University in M’Sila, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Monetary and Banking Economics in 2023.
Read: When Evening Comes – Poetry from Algeria
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Read: ALGERIA: ECHOES OF A MILLION MARTYRS