Author of Acclaimed Novel Sued by a War Survivor
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- Algerian novelist Kamel Daoud won the 2024 Prix Goncourt for his civil-war novel Houris, which has sparked controversy over its portrayal of a character allegedly based on Saâda Arbane, a survivor of Islamist violence.
- Arbane claims Daoud and his psychiatrist wife used her confidential therapy sessions to create the novel's heroine, citing around 30 specific overlaps with her life, including medical details and shared locations.
- She is suing Daoud in Algeria and France for privacy violations and libel, while Daoud denies the allegations, calling the character purely fictional and accusing the Algerian state of political manipulation.
- Journalist Madeleine Schwartz's investigation in the Guardian highlights broader issues of consent, patient confidentiality, ownership
