Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
At the 28th Algiers International Book Fair (SILA), the Motifs publishing house, founded and directed by Maya Ouabadi, attracts attention in the heart of the central pavilion. On its stand, readers discover, with curiosity and enthusiasm, two new products recently released for the show, as well as an editorial commitment which strives to defend a plural, creative and critical Algerian literature.
The first novelty from Motifs for this show is the now essential Fassel, a bilingual literary criticism journal (Arabic-French), hand-crafted and designed as an intellectual space freed from the superfluous. Launched for this 28th edition of Sila, number 10 takes a bold bet, “that of making visible ten Algerian authors who are not visible enough”: Sadek Aïssat, Abderrazak Boukebba, Mourad Bourboune, Aziz Chouaki, Dalie Farah, Safia Ketou, Waciny Laredj, Yamina Mechakra, Fadéla M’Rabet and Hacène Zehar. According to the founder of Motifs Editions, the challenge of this ambitious issue is precisely to give these authors the place they deserve in the Algerian literary landscape. This edition also stands out for the richness of its critical views, carried by demanding and passionate contributions signed by Hajar Bali, Radhia Achi, Izza Amar, Salah Badis, Lamine Ammar-Khodja, Maya Ouabadi, Lamis Saidi, as well as by Terrasses.
“They are well-known authors, but not enough for our taste. With this issue, we want to put them back at the center, to affirm how much they matter in our literary landscape,” insisted the editor.
Fassl is not just a review, it is an aesthetic and intellectual claim, a desire for criticism that is both demanding and accessible, for reflection on Algerian, North African and African literature — too often read through the filters of the European publishing market.
The second novelty presented at SILA is “The Tip of the Iceberg, Praise of the Algerian GPS”, an essay signed by Lamine Ammar-Khodja, already familiar with Motifs editions. A hybrid text, both critical and personal, where the author questions, analytically, the difficulty of Algerian literature to impose itself serenely, caught between Algeria and France, between a local circuit and a French circuit of publication and reception.
“Lamine knows both contexts. It explores both the journey of writers, the publishing possibilities, but also the way in which works are received here and in France, in particular,” explained Maya Ouabadi. The essay is intended to be a literary GPS, an attempt to understand a changing cultural field, complex and still largely to be mapped.
Created in 2018, Motifs has given itself a clear credo, that of publishing what matters, in both content and form. “In substance and form”, the expression has become as much a motto as an editorial line. Motifs publishes in several languages, mixing interviews, short essays, portraits, unpublished texts, but also collective projects where editorial aesthetics combine with committed thinking.
Among its other notable projects, the publisher highlights La Place, an annual feminist magazine hosted by Saadia Gacem and Maya Ouabadi. He is also developing Intilak, a collection devoted to cinema, designed in partnership with Talitha and the Bouanani Archives, which has already published En attendant Omar Gatlatou by Wassyla Tamzali as well as Femme, Arabe et… Cinéaste by Heiny Srour. Finally, the Entre collection is distinguished by short and incisive essays. An artisanal, independent approach, in which each published object reflects a strong commitment.
SILA, a vital engine for the book economy
“SILA is a crucial moment for publishing in Algeria. Here, we really meet the public, we see what they read, what they buy. And it is also a place which structures the rest of the year,” underlined Maya Ouabadi, smiling, but attentive to the incessant flow of visitors.
For Motifs, SILA is not only an annual showcase, it is an economic pillar. Sales are direct, without intermediaries. “Here, 100% of the price of the book goes to the publisher. It’s important to us. And there is a real audience, coming from everywhere, who buys, who discovers.” And to note: “all the players meet in the aisles and structure the market for the whole year. Publishers find there not only their readers, but also their relay bookstores, across different regions of the country.”
The SILA thus becomes the breath of oxygen essential to the survival of the sector. “We want to show that Algerian literature is vast, multiple, and that it deserves to be read differently, here and beyond,” concluded Maya Ouabadi.