Kamel Daoud’s novel ‘Houris’, inspired by Algeria’s brutal civil war, faces criticism from a survivor claiming exploitation of her trauma. Publisher Antoine Gallimard defended Daoud, stating the characters and plot are fictional. Following the book’s Goncourt win, Gallimard’s publishing house was barred from the Algerian Book Fair, reflecting a larger issue with censorship in Algeria due to a law against literature on this historical period. Daoud’s wife, a psychiatrist, has also faced professional attacks linked to the controversy.

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