Biography of Maïssa BEY

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Maïssa Bey ,real name Samia Benameur was born in 1950 in the town of Ksar Boukhari in Algeria and is a well known and famous writer..

From her village in the high plains, not far from Algeria, she has a master's degree and teaches french in the Oran area.  A mother of four she still lives and works in Algeria.

Her mother had wanted to call her Maïssa before she was born and Bey was one of her grandmother's names. Liivng in Algeria and in fear, the same fear that haunts so many Algerians who fear the massacres that have been perpetuated over the years. This fear has obliged her to remain as anonymous as possible.

When asked why she writes she replies that writing for her is her refuge, her secret place from where she is able to write what she feels obliged to tell the the world.

She is president of the Algerian women's association " Parole et ecriture".

Her works include:

«Au commencement était la mer»
     Rroman, Ed. Marsa 1996 - Ed de l'Aube poche, 2003.

«Nouvelles d'Algérie»
     Ed Grasset, 1998 - Grand prix de la nouvelle de la Société
     des Gens de Lettres.

«A contre silence»
     Recueil d'entretiens et de textes inédits - Ed. Parole d'Aube, 1999.

«Cette fille-là»
     Roman, Ed de l'Aube, 2001 - Prix Marguerite Audoux.

«Entendez-vous dans les montagnes...»
     Récit, Ed. de l'Aube et Ed. Barzakh, 2004

«Sous le jasmin la nuit»
     Nouvelles, Ed. de l'Aube et Ed. Barzakh, 2004

«Surtout ne te retourne pas»
     Roman, Ed. de l'Aube, 2005

"Bleu, blanc, vert (ed. l'Aube, 2006)

Pierre, sang, papier ou cendre (éd. l'aube, 2008)