Nina Bouraoui
Encyclopedia
Nina Bouraoui is a French writer born in Rennes
, Ille-et-Vilaine
, of an Algerian father and a French
mother. She spent the first fourteen years of her life in Algiers
, then Zürich
and Abu Dhabi
. She now lives in Paris
.
Her novels are mostly written in the first person and, with the exception of Avant les hommes (Before the Men), have been said by the author to be works of "auto-fiction". This is even the case for Le Bal des Murènes (The ball of moray eels), which, like Avant les hommes, has a male narrator. Since writing her first novel in 1991, Bouraoui has affirmed the influence of Marguerite Duras
in her work, although the life narratives and works many other artists are also to be found in her novels (and songs). This is particularly true of Mes Mauvaises Pensées (My Bad Thoughts) which bears the imprint of Hervé Guibert
, Annie Ernaux
, David Lynch
, Eileen Gray
, and Violette Leduc
amongst others. Questions of identity, desire, memory, writing, childhood and celebrity culture
are some of the major themes of her work.
In 2007, she wrote two songs for Céline Dion
titled "Immensité
" and "Les paradis", set to music respectively by Jacques Veneruso and Gildas Arzel. These songs were featured on Céline Dion's latest album, D'elles
, which came out 21 May 2007.
Présentation in Lire La Beurgeoisie The French website for successful "Beurs".
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, of an Algerian father and a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
mother. She spent the first fourteen years of her life in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, then Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
. She now lives 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...
.
Her novels are mostly written in the first person and, with the exception of Avant les hommes (Before the Men), have been said by the author to be works of "auto-fiction". This is even the case for Le Bal des Murènes (The ball of moray eels), which, like Avant les hommes, has a male narrator. Since writing her first novel in 1991, Bouraoui has affirmed the influence of Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Donnadieu, better known as Marguerite Duras was a French writer and film director.-Background:...
in her work, although the life narratives and works many other artists are also to be found in her novels (and songs). This is particularly true of Mes Mauvaises Pensées (My Bad Thoughts) which bears the imprint of Hervé Guibert
Hervé Guibert
Hervé Guibert was a homosexual French writer and photographer. The author of numerous novels and autobiographical studies, he played a considerable role in changing French public attitudes to AIDS...
, Annie Ernaux
Annie Ernaux
Annie Ernaux is a French writer.She won the Prix Renaudot in 1984 for her book La Place, an autobiographical narrative focusing on her relationship with her father and her experiences growing up in a small town in France, and her subsequent process of moving into adulthood and away from her...
, David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
, Eileen Gray
Eileen Gray
Kathleen Eileen Moray Gray was an Irish furniture designer and architect and a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture.- Biography :...
, and Violette Leduc
Violette Leduc
Violette Leduc was a French author.She was born in Arras, Pas de Calais, France, the illegitimate daughter of a servant girl, Berthe. In Valenciennes, the young Violette spent most of her childhood suffering from poor self-esteem, exacerbated by her mother's hostility and overprotectiveness...
amongst others. Questions of identity, desire, memory, writing, childhood and celebrity culture
Celebrity culture
A celebrity culture is the structure that influences those deemed to be celebrities.-Brief history of celebrity culture:Any medium can be viewed as a vehicle for creating a celebrity culture. The famous religious books of the world's faiths are replete with examples of individuals who are well...
are some of the major themes of her work.
Works
- La Voyeuse interdite (1991, Prix du Livre Inter 1991)
- Poing mort (1992)
- Le Bal des murènes (1996)
- L'Âge blessé (1998)
- Le Jour du séisme (1999)
- Garçon manqué (2000)
- La Vie heureuse (2002)
- Poupée Bella (2004)
- Mes mauvaises Pensées (2005, Prix RenaudotPrix RenaudotThe Prix Théophraste-Renaudot or Prix Renaudot is a French literary award which was created in 1926 by ten art critics awaiting the results of the deliberation of the jury of the Prix Goncourt....
) - Avant les hommes (2007)
In 2007, she wrote two songs for Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
titled "Immensité
Immensité
"Immensité" is the second single from Céline Dion's French album D'elles. It premiered on the radio in France and Quebec on April 23, 2007 and was released as a music download on May 14, 2007. However, the physical single was not issued...
" and "Les paradis", set to music respectively by Jacques Veneruso and Gildas Arzel. These songs were featured on Céline Dion's latest album, D'elles
D'elles
D'elles is the title of Céline Dion's French-language album, released between May 18 and June 1, 2007 in certain European countries, on May 22, 2007 in Canada, and February 27, 2008 in Japan. It is her 23rd French album and 35th if counting all longplays...
, which came out 21 May 2007.
External links
Page dedicated to Nina Bouraoui in Littératures du Maghreb Article in L'ExpressL'Express (France)
L'Express is a French weekly news magazine. When founded in 1953 during the First Indochina War, it was modelled on the US magazine TIME.-History:...
Présentation in Lire La Beurgeoisie The French website for successful "Beurs".