The Wind has Said its Name

by Mohamed Abdallah

Description

“A wise malice radiated from his features, and one always had the impression that he knew more than he was willing to say, that a shrewd reflection lurked behind his smiles. His quick wit and good humor were the delight of La Mauresque and its surroundings; a reminder through his quiet charm that the world could still harbor delicacy.” Mohamed Abdallah Oran, autumn 1954. At La Mauresque, a space symbolizing a whole country in turmoil, in the heart of the indigenous city of Oran, the doubts of its occupants multiply and questions abound. Journalists, politicians, novelists, poets and artists grapple with a pivotal moment in their countries' history. The old world is dying, while the new one is slow to emerge for them. Hesitations and initiatives abound. They are trying to navigate by sight in an ocean so vast that it merges with the horizon; a horizon they sometimes seem to forget, but which the author has tried to give readers a constant view of through his novel: Le Vent a dit son Nom (The Wind Has Said Its Name). Multiplying references to emblematic figures in the awakening of consciences to freedom, Mohamed Abdallah attempts to offer a fresh look at the role that men of letters, intellectuals and, more generally, people of culture can play, at a time when a Nation is preparing to face new trials. These are themes that still resonate today.

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Marketing Information

Le Vent a dit son nom“ (”The Wind has said its name") was awarded the Grand Prix du roman Assia Djebar in 2022 (Algeria) and the Prix Ahmed Baba de la rentére littéraire du Mali in 2023. It has been sold to Au Diable Vauvert and will be published in France in August 2024.

Author Biography

Mohamed Abdallah is the author of five novels: “Entre l'Algérie et la France il n'y a qu'une seule page”, ‘‘There's only one page between Algeria and France’’, (Editions Necib, 2017) ; ‘‘Souvenez-vous de nos sœurs de la Soummam’’, ‘‘Remember our sisters of the Soummam’’ (Editions Anep, 2018), ‘‘Aux Portes de Cirta’’, ‘‘At the entrance to Cirta’’, (Editions Casbah, 2019), ‘‘Le Vent a dit son nom’’, ‘‘The Wind has said its name’’ (Apic Editions, 2021, Grand prix du roman Assia Djebar, 2022; Prix Ahmed Baba, 2023), and ‘‘Le Nil des vivants’’, ‘‘The Nile of the Living’’ (Apic Editions, 2023). A lover of literature and history, he is part of a new generation of Algerian novelists who never cease to amaze with their literary audacity.

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher/Imprint Apic éditions / Algeria
  • Publication Date February 2021
  • Orginal LanguageFrench
  • ISBN/Identifier 9789931468738
  • Publication Country or regionAlgeria
  • FormatHardback
  • Primary Price 20 EUR
  • Pages266
  • ReadershipGeneral
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Original Language TitleLe vent a dit son nom
  • Original Language Authorsfre
  • EditionApic éditions
  • Copyright Year2021
  • Dimensions150X235 mm

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