2024-07-01 14:52:28
This Prize was awarded to Ms. Mekouar throughout a ceremony organized on the Moroccan embassy in France, within the presence, particularly, of members of the Prize Jury and a crowd of intellectuals and artists.
Printed in 2022 by JC Lattès, La Grenade assortment, Zineb Mekouar’s novel tells the story of two radically opposed younger Moroccan ladies: Kenza and Fatiha. The previous, from a rich household, is finding out at Sciences Po-Paris. She decides to return to Casablanca and reconnects with Fatiha, her nanny’s daughter and her childhood buddy.
By the crossed tales of Kenza and Fatiha, Zineb Mekouar interweaves the destinies of two heroines between submission and transgression. On this giant fresco, their wounds and their dramas embrace the political and social divisions of up to date Morocco.
Talking on the Prize award ceremony, Morocco’s ambassador to Paris, Samira Sitaïl mentioned she was “impressed” by the best way by which Zineb Mekouar depicts Moroccan society in her novels “with a lot realism whereas we making you dream.”
“It is your expertise, Zineb, your very nice expertise. It is not simply me who says it, but additionally the Jury and the readers who had been capable of admire all the trail taken by the author that you’re at the moment,” mentioned Ms. Sitaïl, addressing the creator.
And to emphasise that Zineb Mekouar, Franco-Moroccan, represents “what’s greatest, most stunning, strongest and most intimate between Morocco and France”.
Ms. Sitail affirmed that the younger author put her expertise on the service of Franco-Moroccan friendship, highlighting her journey as “a mannequin and galvanizing for all those that want to write and see their books revealed someday”.
In an announcement to MAP, Zineb Mekouar expressed her nice emotion and pleasure in receiving this award on the Moroccan embassy.
“It is rather important for me, as a result of it’s my nation. My writing attracts its supply from this love that I’ve for Morocco and from the ardent need to find it by way of my phrases,” he mentioned. she underlined, explaining that the themes of her novel “The Hen and Her Cumin”, particularly “gender equality in Morocco and our relationship with foreigners, in France, are notably near my coronary heart”.
“I’m additionally very glad that my second novel + Bear in mind the Bees +, which was not too long ago launched, is among the many summer time favorites of the Académie Goncourt,” she mentioned, hoping that it might will meet its viewers, similar to “The Hen and Her Cumin”.
As for her future tasks, Zineb Mekouar already has a 3rd novel in thoughts. “In the mean time, I’m deep in thought of my third novel,” she confides, affirming that her writing will at all times be imbued with Morocco, the nation of her childhood.
For her half, Mireille Tykaert, advertising and marketing director of Editions “Factors” introduced that Zineb Mekouar had gained the Factors Finest Novel Prize of 2024 for her novel “La poule et son cumin” from a collection of 12 novels this 12 months, with “a really giant majority of votes”, praising the originality of her work which captivated the jury.
This 12 months, the choice for this Prize was “eclectic” and “high quality”, testifying to the range of publications, she continued.
“La poule et son cumin” was additionally among the many finalists for the 2022 Goncourt First Novel Award and was included within the Académie Goncourt’s checklist of “summer time 2022 favorites.”
Zineb Mekouar was born in Casablanca in 1991. She has lived in Paris since 2009. After finding out at Science Po and HEC Paris, she labored in technique consulting after which was liable for Public Affairs in a Begin-up incubator.
Created in 2013, the Finest Readers’ Novel Prize from the French publishing home “Factors” is awarded by a jury made up of 100 readers and round thirty professionals (booksellers), for round ten works chosen annually.
2024-07-01 14:52:28