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Story perspectives

Survivor Accuses Novelist of Exploiting Her Trauma

2/23/2026

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Story summary
  • Saâda Arbane, a survivor of Islamist violence, alleges that Kamel Daoud, an Algerian novelist, and his wife used details from her confidential therapy sessions in Houris, which won the 2024 Prix Goncourt.
  • Arbane identifies about 30 similarities between her life and the book’s central character, including medical details and shared experiences.
  • Journalist Madeleine Schwartz investigates the conflict and the ethics of drawing from real-life trauma in literature.