The New Algerian Literature at the Threshold of Globalization : Across National and Cultural Boundaries

Ben Ali Amer, Chabha (2018) The New Algerian Literature at the Threshold of Globalization : Across National and Cultural Boundaries. In: ASMCF Annual Conference: New Forms of Expression in the French and Francophone Worlds, Lancaster University (2018), 2018-09-13 - 2018-09-14, Lancaster University. (Unpublished)

Abstract

This paper discusses the new emerging Francophone narratives in Algeria, and the impact of globalization processes on the production and reception of literary texts. National identity has been the centre of attention of post-independence Algerian narratives such as Yasmina Khadra’s Ce que le jour doit à la nuit, or La Repudiation by Rachid Boudjedra. However, due to changes undergone by the world in the fields of politics, economics, technology and science, the bearing of globalization on Algerian literature did not go incognito. As a result of this interaction between national culture and world culture, the recent Algerian writers have developed new writing techniques and styles, traced new aims, introduced different cultures, thoughts and opinions, and updated language in a creative way. These new narratives aim at withdrawing attachment to postcolonial traumas and the redefinition of the self in a global framework, while maintaining the challenged identity. Thus, in this paper, I will look at the current Algerian narratives formed through the interaction of globalization in literature, and the challenges encountered while adopting globalization, illustrating passages from Kaouthar Adimi’s Des Ballerines de Papicha, the translation of Anouar Rahmani’s Halwasat Gibril (Gabriel, ou L’Hallucination de Maria), and Meursault Contre Enquete by Kamel Daoud. Through this research, I aim at demonstrating the new facets of Algerian literature across national and cultural boundaries, and present the shift from the largely dominated postcolonial discourse to an era attempting to explore newness.