When we lose a love, we write a poem; when we lose our homeland, we write a novel - Ahlam Mosteghanemi

I have spent many years in Paris. I got married there, started my small family there, and received my PhD at the Sorbonne. Thus, I am very familiar with the issues that could have attracted French and Western media, and paved the way to my fame at the international level; however, I am not interested in that fame. Glory and fame do not mean much to me. I understand that many Algerian writers might have a different attitude, which I respect. But for me, nothing equals the glory of being close to your people and heritage.

While writing for Arab readers, it is very important to think about how to get your ideas across. In order to reach everyone, you should make sure to transmit your messages without provoking or drawing the attention of political, religious, and social censorship. Skilled writers are skilled smugglers of ideas. They encrypt their ideas to get their message across smoothly.

I would, first, advise them to start writing about what they know best (i.e. themselves, their immediate environments, feelings, etc.). Writers should also hone their craft by constant practice, producing many drafts, as haste is a detriment to a writer’s success. My last piece of advice is that, when they achieve success, they should not become arrogant; arrogance can incapacitate writers. Voltaire rightfully says that “the writer dies suffocating under bouquets of flowers.”