2) Your father had been a soldier, and you became a soldier. Where did the desire to write come from? Most people don't think of soldiers becoming writers.
My father had been a male nurse. Then, there was the war for the Independence of Algeria, which had been colonized by France, and my father joined the National Liberation Army. After six years of war (1962, was the birth of the Algerian republic), he came home as an officer and chose to embrace a military career in the young Algerian army. In 1964, when I was nine years old, my father placed me in Cadets School, the military institution concerned with officer training.
I thus spent 11 years at this military boarding school before moving on to the Academy to begin my career as an officer that lasted 25 years. But I was always writing. From the time I was 11 years old, I tried my hand at fables/tales. My first published work, (Houria), I wrote when I was 17 years old. When I became an officer, I continued to write. I published six novels under my real name, Mohammed Moulessehoul before seeing any reaction from the hierarchy in 1988.
Seeing that I had begun being recognised in the media in Algeria, the high command imposed a committee of censorship to supervise me. I refused to subject myself to them.
This is how my first pseudonym came about, from that decision in 1989. It was Police Chief Llob's name that appeared on two small novels The Nutcase With The Lancet (1990) and The Fair (1993) In 1997, my Parisian editor wanted a name that sounded less like a profession for the publication of Morituri. I chose my wife's first two names, Yasmina Khadra. Since then I have kept this pen name, which has now had work translated in 27 countries.
3) What did your family, your mother and father, think of your writing?
My family have always respected my choices. They know that I am a healthy in body and spirit and do not look to debate my career choices. My father is proud of the direction I've taken while my mother, who is illiterate, knows that it is a good thing, but is not quite sure why. She had always wanted me to quit the army so that makes her happy. My brothers and sisters encouraged me to go from the word one
4) Were there any writers who inspired you when you first started to write?
Your Superintendent Llob books reminded me a little of the books by George
Simenon and Nicolas Freeling.
Article comments
1 - Natalie Bennett
Fascinating Richard, and must have been a huge amount of work - thanks!
2 - Nasra
Thank you for this interview... Its helpful for us to know more about Arab writers who writes in other languges... it give us hope that we can also stand and present our art
3 - Barbara
I've just read The Swallows of Kabul - an exceptional book. Although I was a bit put off by Si Mohamed's dismissive generalisation about the West's ignorance, he is right that the book is not at all about terrorism. It is the truest-sounding description of the tragedy of sexist extremism for the Muslim male mind (he is not so good with the female mind, but that's fine, we have that from enough others) that I have ever read. The other Muslim male authors I know - Mahfouz and Ben Jelloun - have never dared explore this, AFAIK.
4 - Richard Marcus
The question your refer to where M. Khadra makes his comments about the Western mind came about because of misunderstanding caused by my translation of the question into French from English.
So please don't judge his opinions on the West by his answer to that question.
Richard Marcus