The Women of al-Basatin
Habib Selmi
The Women of Al-Basatin is an intimate portrayal of the daily lives of a modest family living in the Al-Basatin district of Tunis in Tunisia. Through the stories of this small matriarchal environment, we observe the contradictions of the wider Tunisian society, exposing a world in flux between burdensome religious traditions and a troubled modernity.
For a detailed critique of the novel by journalist Anwar Hamed, click here.
Nomination
2012 Shortlist
Habib Selmi
Country of origin Tunisia
About the author
Habib Selmi was born in Al-Ala, Tunisia, in 1951. He obtained a Higher Teaching Certificate (agrégation) in Arabic Language before immigrating to Paris in 1985, where he now lives and teaches Arabic in a prestigious secondary school. His published novels include Goat Mountain (1988), Portrait of a Dead Bedouin (1990), Sand Labyrinth (1994), Warm Pits (1999), Bayya’s Lovers (2002) and Abdallah’s Secrets (2004).