Habib Selmi (born 1951) is a Tunisian novelist and short story writer. He was born in Al-Ala

Al-Ala

Sūrat al-Aʿlā is the 87th sura of the Qur'an with 19 ayat. Al-Ala describes the Islamic view of existence, the Oneness of Allah, and Divine revelation, additionally mentioning rewards and punishments. Mankind often hides things from each other and from themselves as well. The sura reminds us that...

 near the historic city of Kairouan

Kairouan

Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...

. To date, he has published eight novels and two short story collections. His books include:

• Jabal al-'Anz (Goat Mountain), 1988
• Surat Badawi Mayyit (Portrait of a Dead Bedouin), 1990
• Matahat al-Raml (Sand Labyrinth), 1994
• Hufar Dafi'a (Warm Pits), 1999
• Ushaq Bayya (Bayya's Lovers), 2002
• Asrar Abdallah (Abdallah’s Secrets), 2006
• Rawaïh Marie-Claire (The Scents of Marie-Claire), 2008

Selmi's novel The Scents of Marie-Claire was shortlisted for the Arabic Booker Prize. His work has been translated into a number of languages, including English and French, and has featured in multiple issues of Banipal

Banipal

Banipal is an independent literary magazine dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Arab literature through translations in English. It was founded in London in 1998 by Margaret Obank and Samuel Shimon. The magazine is published three times a year...

magazine.

Selmi has lived in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 since 1985 where he teaches Arabic literature

Arabic literature

Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....

.

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