‘I felt betrayed, naked’: did a prize-winning novelist steal a woman’s life story?

In November 2024, Algerian writer Kamel Daoud won France's prestigious Goncourt Prize for 'Houris,' a novel about a woman who survived a terrorist attack during Algeria's civil war in the 1990s. The book tells the story of Ob (Dawn), a 26-year-old woman who survived a massacre as a child, had her throat cut, and lives with a tracheostomy and barely audible voice. Eleven days after the ceremony, Sada Arban, a 30-year-old terrorism survivor, appeared on Algerian television claiming Daoud had stolen her personal story. Arban survived a massacre at age six in 1998, suffered identical injuries to the fictional character, and had confided her story to psychiatrist Dr. Aisha Dahdou - who is Daoud's wife. Arban's lawyers identified approximately 30 similarities between her life and the novel's protagonist, including specific details about living arrangements, physical characteristics, and personal experiences that she claims she only shared in therapy sessions. Daoud initially acknowledged being inspired by 'a woman with a breathing tube' but later denied any connection to Arban, claiming she is being manipulated by the Algerian government as part of a campaign against regime critics. The case has become entangled in broader Franco-Algerian political tensions, with Daoud arguing he is being persecuted for his criticism of Algeria's authoritarian government. Algeria has issued international arrest warrants for Daoud, forcing him to cancel international travel, and he missed his mother's funeral due to inability to return home. Legal cases are proceeding in both Algeria and France, with Arban suing for invasion of privacy and libel. The controversy raises fundamental questions about literary ethics, the ownership of personal stories, and the intersection of art, politics, and trauma.