Habib Selmi

Habib Selmi (Tunisian Arabic: حبيب السالمي) (born 31 January 1951) is a Tunisian novelist and short story writer.

Early life

He was born in Al-Ala near the historic city of Kairouan. To date, he has published eight novels and two short story collections.

Career

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
• Nisāʾ al-basatÄ«n (The Women of al-Basatin), 2011
• Al-ishtīāq ilā al-jāra (Longing for the Woman Next Door), 2020

His work has been shortlisted three times for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, in 2009 (for The Scents of Marie-Claire), 2012 (for The Women of al-Basatin), and 2021 (for Longing for the Woman Next Door). His work has been translated into a number of languages, including English and French and has featured in multiple issues of Banipal magazine.

Selmi has lived in Paris since 1985, where he teaches Arabic literature.

References