Mustapha Benfodil

Biography

Mustapha Benfodil was born in 1968 in Relizane, Algeria. A playwright, novelist, and poet, he is well known for representing contemporary revolutionary Algerian writing and activism. His poem "To the health of the Republic!," which was written in tribute to assassinated writer Tahar Djaout, earned him the Special Jury Prize at the 5th Poésiades de Béjaïa in 1993. His other works include Kafkain Cocktail: Black Poetry and Pales vénustés de barracks, written during his military service in Sidi Bel Abbès and Djelfa. He went to the University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediiène for his Maths baccalaureate in 1987. With provocative and transgressive humor, he creates work that examines the political tension and economic crisis of his country. Benfodil is a journalist at El Watan and was awarded the Mohammed-Dib 2020 prize, which rewards authors writing in Arabic, Amazigh, and French.

Birth Date

1968-01-01

Algerian

Country of Nationality

Algeria

Languages Spoken

Arabic, French

University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediiène

Poetry Collections

To the health of the Republic (In memory of Tahar Djaout, Special Jury Prize at the Poésiades de la ville de Béjaïa, 1993); Kafkain Cocktail: Black Poetry . Bilingual collection. Transl. from English by: Joe Ford. (Hesterglock Press, Bristol, 2018); Pales vénustés de barracks (1997-1998, written during his military service in Sidi Bel Abbès and Djelfa); Matoub my Qassaman! (for Lounès Matoub, assassinated on June 25, 1998); I rolled myself a Levantine (July 2006) ; Darwish Graffiti/ Ode to the dignified extinction of metaphor (For Mahmoud Darwish, 2008).

Sources

“Mustapha Benfodil.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Oct. 2020, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustapha_Benfodil. Accessed 16 March 2022. “Contributor: Mustapha Benfodil.” Words Without Borders, https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/contributor/mustafa-benfodil. Accessed 16 March 2022. Saada, Hana. “Mohammed Dib Literary Prize: ‘Short List’ Unveiled.” DZbreaking, 18 Oct. 2020, https://www.dzbreaking.com/2020/10/18/mohammed-dib-literary-prize-short-list-unveiled/. Accessed 16 March 2022. Alexandra Gueydan-Turek. (2016). "Figure Of An Anartist: Keeping Local Francophone Literature Engaged With Mustapha Benfodil's Literature-Action". Contemporary French And Francophone Studies. Volume 20, Issue 1. 48-57. DOI: 10.1080/17409292.2016.1120551