Trafika Europe 6 - Arabesque

about the authors & works

Faïza Guène Faïza Guène (born in Bobigny, France, 1985) derives her strong originality as a writer as a product of mixed cultures: both parents are from Algeria, and she grew up in Pantin, a suburb of Paris. Questions of cultural identity pervade her two most famous novels, Kiffe kiffe demain (Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow, published at age 19) and Du rêve pour les oufs (Dreams from the Endz). Mourad, the main character of Men Don’t Cry , is born in Nice to Algerian parents, and has a strong desire to forge his own destiny. He must defy strong familial pressure in sticking to tradition; his biggest fear is becoming a fat old man with gray hair living off of his mother for his entire life. One sister lives life à la française , free-thinking and away from her roots, while his other sister follows their family’s traditions strictly. Thus the ground is set for this novel’s fertile exploration.

Translated from French by Sarah Ardizzone.

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