Trauma Exploited: Saâda Arban Sues Kamel Daoud and Wife Over Unethical Use of Her Story in Goncourt Prize-Winning Novel

This is no mere controversy; it is an outright scandal that lays bare the lengths to which some will go to feed their ambition—an unconscionable betrayal of trust, ethics, and human decency.

A Story Stolen: Betrayal Under the Guise of Therapy

Saâda Arban, a woman who endured unimaginable suffering during Algeria’s “Black Decade,” has accused Daoud of mercilessly mining her trauma for creative material. Saâda, whose family was massacred during the civil war in Tiaret, has lived with permanent physical injuries and psychological scars since childhood. Her recovery journey brought her into contact with Daoud’s wife, a psychotherapist she trusted with the most vulnerable aspects of her life.

Now, she asserts that this trust was shattered when details of her therapy sessions—confidential and deeply personal—surfaced in Houris. From her injuries and her grief to specific, harrowing life events, Saâda discovered to her horror that her trauma had been stripped of its humanity and transformed into a commodity for Daoud’s literary acclaim.

Despite Saâda’s explicit refusals when Daoud approached her to adapt her story into a book, he audaciously proceeded without her permission, effectively weaponizing her suffering for his gain.

Proof of Exploitation: Evidence That Speaks Volumes

Saâda has not come forward empty-handed. She has amassed a wealth of evidence, including therapy records, personal correspondence, and striking parallels between her real-life experiences and the events in Houris. These documents expose not only Daoud’s deceit but also his wife’s complicity in violating the sanctity of patient confidentiality—a cornerstone of medical ethics.

A Hollow Gesture That Revealed the Truth

Saâda’s confrontation with the Daouds was met with what can only be described as a grotesque insult: a signed copy of the very book that exploited her trauma, accompanied by hollow words lauding her “bravery.” As if this weren’t enough, there was an offer to adapt the novel into a film, further commodifying her pain.

“Bravery?” Saâda remarked bitterly during her televised interview on One TV. “It takes no bravery to steal someone’s suffering and sell it as art. It takes audacity, shamelessness, and cruelty.”

The Deafening Silence of the Accused

Kamel Daoud and his wife have chosen the path of silence, refusing to respond to these damning accusations. Their unwillingness to confront the allegations head-on speaks volumes, and the absence of any defense has only fueled the outrage.

Outrage and the Call for Accountability

The public response has been nothing short of incendiary. Across Algeria and beyond, voices are uniting to denounce Daoud’s actions as a flagrant abuse of power and privilege. Critics have lambasted him as a “literary predator,” using the stories of the vulnerable as raw material to construct a façade of artistic brilliance.

“What we are witnessing here is not art; it is theft,” declared prominent Algerian critic Amel Rahmani. “Daoud’s actions are a betrayal—not only of Saâda but of the ethical principles that should govern every writer and every human being.”

Calls for the Goncourt Prize Committee to revoke Daoud’s award are growing louder by the day, with many arguing that such recognition under these circumstances tarnishes the entire institution.

The Cost of Exploitation: A Survivor Speaks Out

Saâda’s decision to fight back is nothing short of heroic. Facing down a celebrated author and his enablers, she has taken a stand against the commodification of her pain. “This is not just my fight,” she declared during her interview. “This is for every survivor who has been silenced, exploited, or dismissed.”

And to add: “This is about my life, my dignity, and my right to decide how my story is told—or if it is told at all.”

Saâda’s legal team, led by prominent attorney Fatima Ben Brahem, is preparing to take both Daoud and his wife to court, pursuing justice for what she calls “an unforgivable violation of my humanity.”

A Lesson for the Literary World

This scandal has ignited critical conversations about the ethics of storytelling. While the power of art often lies in its ability to draw from real-life experiences, the blatant theft and misuse of another person’s trauma without consent cannot be tolerated.

Kamel Daoud’s actions have not only disgraced him as a writer but have cast a long shadow over the world of literature, where the line between inspiration and exploitation must be fiercely defended.