Endorsements

Mohamed abdallah is one of Algeria's youngest novelists. He has already published four novels. This week, he publishes “Le vent a dit son nom” (The Wind Has Said Its Name), his fourth novel, with Editions Apic of Algiers, which is offering readers several new releases this March, despite the financial difficulties caused by the cessation of book publishing since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and all its consequences. In this new book, the writer from Tlemcen attempts to provide answers to a number of questions: what place should be given to the creation and appreciation of art, and to the education of the young, when destiny is rumbling and a revolution appears on the horizon? How can we define Algerian identity at a time when its very existence is being called into question? Is commitment a choice like any other, or the fulfillment of a moral obligation? What place should be given to literary and artistic filiation in the creation of one's work? “Explicitly or otherwise, Le vent a dit son nom explores all these questions and many more besides,” says Mohamed Abdallah of his new novel. A novel in the form of an interrogation Mohamed Abdallah specifies that this is a novel in the form of an interrogation, and while it advances and promotes avenues for reflection, it is careful to avoid any absolute and definitive conclusions. To explore these paths, Mohamed Abdallah proposes to follow a variety of paths. A child breaking into the world of knowledge, a translator venturing into the world of writing, an activist giving substance to his commitment and his anxieties, an exile haunted by a nameless ghost, both silent and omnipresent... “Although they face distinct challenges, these characters have in common the fact of being thrown into a world radically different from the one in which they took their first steps, and in which some might have expected to wander indefinitely”, explains the young, talented and prolific Mohamed Abdallah. And yet,” he continues, ”by or against their will, they find themselves faced with a complete overhaul of their lives. At other times, it takes years to settle in, at first taking on the appearance of a comfortable daily routine, leading people to believe that an ordinary life is still possible, before reminding them of the inevitable: no, nothing can continue in the same way from now on. Journey from past to present The setting for Mohamed Abdellah's novel is Oranie in the 1950s. It was the eve of the outbreak of the War of National Independence, which was to transform national destiny forever. Everywhere, change is making its approach felt, its inevitable arrival. Or is it already here? This is when a series of crucial choices arise: you have to abandon your certainties, your pleasant routine, without having the slightest guarantee of success. Each character will face these challenges in different ways, but none can afford to ignore them. “Although the place and date of this story are fixed, they are far