Boualem Sansal

Boualem Sansal (, born 15 October 1949 in Theniet El Had) is an Algerian author who writes in French. In 2024, he became a French citizen. He holds an engineering degree from the National Polytechnic School and a PhD in economics. Sansal has worked as a teacher, consultant, business leader, and senior official in Algeria’s Ministry of Industry. After retiring from his high-ranking government position, he began writing novels at the age of 50. He is known for his outspoken criticism of Islamism and the Algerian government.

Sansal has authored several novels that have earned him literary awards mainly French, including the Prix du Premier Roman (1999), the (2008), the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade (2011), the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française (2015), and the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca (2025).

He was imprisoned in Algeria on 16 November 2024, shortly after publicly challenging the country’s borders in '''', a far-right French media outlet. His arrest has escalated the diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France. On March 27, 2025, he was sentenced to five years in prison. Provided by Wikipedia