On Rachid Boudjedra

Sir:

I greatly appreciated André Naffis-Sahely's lively and thoughtful essay on Algeria and the work of Rachid Boudjedra (PNR 208). And one might quarrel with the jury's choices for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. However, Rachid Boudjedra has not received the prize for the simple reason that he writes in French, and the prize is for a novel written in Arabic. He did receive the Prix du Roman Arabe in France in 2010 for Les Figuiers de Barbarie - that prize is for a novel by an Arab author of any nationality written either in Arabic or in French.

MARILYN HACKER
By email


To Goon on Pilgrimages

Sir:

Gabriel Josipovici, in his article 'The Ouse's Muddy Bank' (PNR 207), concludes that in his view it is pointless to visit artists' homes and graves. I feel that he has missed the entire point of such pilgrimages - most of us go on them because we love the artist and his or her work.

ANTHONY ASTBURY
Warwick