This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud —A Review
An entire family is preoccupied with its history and questions of national identity, confounded by France’s rejection of the pieds-noirs.
Algeria
“Before the Earthquake”—a short story by Salah Badis
In which a woman ponders the fate of the individuals who left behind their garments, now long forgotten, at the laundromat.
The Floods of Derna: Historical Parallels to Libya’s Crisis
Lama Elsharif finds that Derna’s harrowing flood proves a surprising catalyst for unity in a nation scarred by decades-long conflict and division.
The Maghreb Generation—North African Creatives for a Postcolonial Future
Tugrul Mende reviews a new book by Paraska Tolan-Szkilnik that explores the journey of the Maghreb Generation that struggled to envision a new postcolonial future.
World Picks: Festival Arabesques in Montpellier
The largest festival of Arab and North African music takes place each year in Montpellier: Arabesques is quite the two-week extravaganza.
“Nadira of Tlemcen”—fiction from Abdellah Taïa
Sometimes you have to escape everything you know in order to become yourself.
Garden of Africa: Interview with Rachid Koraïchi
Rose Issa talks to the Algerian artist about his Garden of Africa and other garden projects that honor the history and memories of the dead.
Cruising the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
TMR's managing editor, Rana Asfour, checks out one of the world's largest book events looking for literary mana.
A new series in France, Raï Is Not Dead, Celebrates the Genre
Melissa Chemam attends the première of the new French music series on Arte TV at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.
The Contemporary Art Scene in Algiers (Fragments)
Pierre Daum, a correspondent for Le Monde Diplomatique, goes in search of Algerian artists in Algiers.
French-Algerian Artist Djamel Tatah’s Solitary Crowds
Laëtitia Soula caught the opening of Djamel Tatah's extravagant show at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier, where she spoke with the artist.
On Women and Gods: How Three Female Clerics Came Together
Laëtitia Soula talks to an imam, a pastor and a rabbi, all women, who sat down to write a book together melding feminism and religion.
44th CINEMED fest to Fête Simone Bitton & Abdellatif Kéchiche
Montpellier's venerable Mediterranean film festival announces retrospectives and avant-premières.
Vocalist Samira Brahmia Bridges France and Algeria with Love
For her 11th TMR music column, Melissa Chemam interviews the Algerian-French diva Samira Brahmia.
Independent Algeria 60 Years Later: The Untold Story
Algerian critic Fouad Mami parses his nation's history and independence from France, on Algeria's 60th anniversary.