FRENCH-MOROCCAN AUTHOR SLIMANI
French-Moroccan author Leïla Slimani, in Ankara to help select the Turkish winner of the world-renowned French literary prize, the Goncourt, said she had read Yaşar Kemal’s İnce Memed and added: “I clearly remember when I read it, it was a deeply moving book. That’s why I felt Turkish. I discovered many similarities between my country, Morocco, and Türkiye. I saw these commonalities through literature and cinema.”
Slimani, who holds a Goncourt Prize, chaired the Turkish Goncourt Jury, which selected Madelaine Avant l’aube by Sandrine Collette as the Turkish Goncourt winner from among four finalists. Slimani shared her thoughts on the jury’s process: “It was wonderful and moving to hear readers share their opinions about the books. As a novelist, it’s incredibly touching to see readers so engaged, intelligent, and capable of analyzing novels. Witnessing them develop such sharp and clear insights about books was a delight. It truly was a joyful moment for me.”
FINDING A CHARACTER YOU WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH MATTERS
Speaking about the writing process, Slimani said, “I don’t believe literature or novels are only about themes or messages. It’s more like unexpectedly encountering a character or a story; it captivates you, and you want to share it. And most of the time, it happens by chance.” She also emphasized the role of coincidence in creating characters: “A piece of news I hear, a film I watch, or a story someone tells me can have a big impact. What’s important is finding a character you want to spend a long time with, weeks, months, or even years. It’s all a matter of chance.”
WRITING GOOD BOOKS ON CURRENT EVENTS TAKES TIME
Slimani pointed out that writing novels about current events requires time: “We might feel an urgency to respond immediately to current events, but writers need time and distance. Books are written after time passes. For instance, when COVID emerged, everyone thought novels about COVID would be written right away. But I believe the best novels will only come 20 years later. It was the same with 9/11. Good novels about 9/11 have only just begun to appear. To write good books about current events, we need to wait. I also have ideas, but I let them settle within me over time.”
DUAL CULTURE IS NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD
Slimani, a French citizen of Moroccan descent, spoke about her dual cultural identity: “I don’t know if having two cultures enriches my work—I hesitate to make that claim. I don’t even like discussing whether it’s good or bad. It’s like being white or black—it’s not good or bad. It just is.”
LITERATURE STRENGTHENS TIES BETWEEN DIFFERENT CULTURES
“Rootedness doesn’t hold a special meaning for me. For instance, when I visit Istanbul, I don’t feel unfamiliar with the city. Because I’ve read so many novels about Istanbul, they give me a sense of familiarity,” said Slimani, explaining how literature strengthens a reader’s connection with different cultures. “That’s the beauty of literature, when you read a Turkish novel, you feel Turkish. You feel like you’re walking in the city alongside the character. Of course, I’ve read Orhan Pamuk, Ahmet Altan, Aslı Erdoğan, and Yaşar Kemal. I’ve read İnce Memed. I clearly remember when I read it, it moved me deeply. That’s why I felt Turkish. I discovered many similarities between Morocco and Türkiye. I’ve seen these shared traits thanks to literature and cinema.”
