HIBAPRESS
The French Academy honored French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal today, Thursday, three weeks after his release from prison in Algeria, where he spent about a year. The Academy expressed this honor with "immense joy and great relief."
The French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, the permanent secretary general of the Academy responsible for the French language, said: “He is among us, free, smiling, surrounded by us, celebrated, with a mind full of ideas and book projects.” He added in a speech delivered in the presence of Sansal, his wife, and members of the Academy: “With immense joy and great relief, we dedicate the annual general session of the institution to him.” In this occasion, Sansal received the "Chino Del Duca" World Prize, which was awarded to him in the spring for his entire works, which amounts to 200,000 euros, and honors prominent novelists in the Francophone scene. Writer and Academy member Daniel Rondeau considered during his speech: "Dear Boualem Sansal, writing has become a way of life for you. A part of you cannot be chained or gagged, an intimate and vital defense." The statement of the Simone and Chino Del Duca Foundation stated: "With rare courage and a sophisticated writing style, his work reflects his firm commitment to our common language and the values it embodies." Sansal, the author of novels such as "The German Village", "Darwin Street" and "2089", joins a list of prestigious writers who have previously won this award, including Andrei Sakharov, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Jorge Luis Borges, and Kamal Daoud. It is worth mentioning that Sansal, 81 years old, regained his freedom on November 12 after receiving a pardon from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, after spending about a year in prison due to his controversial stances.
