The prestigious Prix Goncourt 2024 has been awarded to writer Kamel Daoud for his Houris. This landmark novel, hailed for its depth and boldness, confirms the author’s talent and earns him a place among the greatest names in contemporary literature

The Prix Goncourt 2024 has been awarded to French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud for his novel Houris, a powerful tale that plunges deep into the tragedies of Algeria’s “black decade” (1992-2002). In a unanimous decision in the first round of voting, the Académie Goncourt jury, meeting at the Drouant restaurant in Paris, singled out this text for its poetic force and its exploration of the traumas of a dark period in Algeria’s history. Houris, which follows the journey of a young mute woman following a tragic attack, tackles the themes of memory and female resilience with profound realism.

A literary tribute to silenced voices

“Houris is not just a novel. It’s another form of memory, a literary celebration of the women who lived through the dark days of Algeria, women whose suffering is not always reflected in official historical accounts,” praised Philippe Claudel, President of the Académie Goncourt.

Kamel Daoud’s third novel, published by Gallimard, stands out for its unique approach: by focusing his narrative on Aube, a woman marked by violence, he revisits the landscapes of Oran and the Algerian desert, giving them an emotional and personal dimension. Unfortunately, this powerful text could not be published in Algeria, where the law forbids any work evoking the civil war of 1992-2002.

A literary career marked by success and controversy

Born in Oran, Kamel Daoud gained international recognition with the release of his first novel, Meursault, contre-enquête, in 2013, a work that had already caused a sensation with its re-reading of Albert Camus’ L’Étranger. His bold writing and critical look at Algerian history and society have earned him undeniable success in France, while also generating tensions in Algeria, where he is sometimes perceived as a “traitor”. Despite this, many admire his pen and his determination to tackle taboo subjects. Last August, he confided to Le Point magazine his feeling of being an “exile by force of circumstance”, comparing himself to the poet Guillaume Apollinaire.

Another tribute to memory: Gaël Faye wins the Renaudot prize for his novel about Rwanda

Author Gaël Faye, also a Goncourt finalist this year, won the Prix Renaudot. His novel sheds light on the reconstruction of Rwanda after the genocide, joining Kamel Daoud in this literary exploration of the scars left by history. Their works, marked by human depth and a concern for truth, echo past conflicts and the resilience that builds beyond suffering.

The union of memory and fiction: a literary success for the 2024 academic year

These two authors, already Goncourt finalists with their previous novels, symbolize a new literary season marked by the recognition of powerful and essential voices. Each in his own way, they bear witness to literature’s ability to bear timeless witness to collective trials and individual stories, uniting memory and resilience in works of universal significance.