Prof. Fouad Laroui
In celebration of L’année de France in 2019 and with support of the French embassy, CLIC invited Moroccan-Dutch author and professor Faoud Laroui for a 5-day residency.
In addition to a reading of his most recent novel, L’insoumise de la Porte de Flandre (2017), Prof. Laroui gave a discussion seminar for master’s students of English and French literature about “Aesthethics and Ethics in Multicultural Literature Today” (hosted by Prof. dr Daniel Acke & Prof. dr. Elisabeth Bekers). In the VUB-cafeteria, he held a lunch lecture in French, themed “Réflexions postcoloniales sur la Francofonie” (hosted by Prof. dr. Daniel Acke & Prof. dr. Sabine Hillen). Finally, a discussion took place between science philosopher and mathematician Jean Paul Van Bendegem and Prof. Laroui about his recent novel Dieu, les mathématiques et la folie (Robert Laffont, 2018).
Curious about the programme? Find it here.
Bio
Prof. Laroui is a writer of novels, short stories, poetry and essays, who writes in French and Dutch. He teaches French literature and Philosophy of science at the University of Amsterdam and divides his time between Casablanca, Amsterdam and Paris.
An acclaimed writer in France, where his debut novel Les dents du topographe [The Mapmaker’s Teeth] won the 1996 Albert Camus Prize and his collection of short fiction L'étrange affaire du pantalon de Dassoukine [The Strange Story of Dassoukine’s Trousers] won the Prix Goncourt de la nouvelle 2013. In 2005 he was made Chevalier des Arts et Lettres de la République Française and in 2014 he was awarded the ‘Grande médaille de la francophonie’ by the Académie francaise in 2014.
He has also published in Dutch, incl. the humorous essay Vreemdeling: Aangenaam [Stranger: Pleased to Meet You] (2001) and two poetry collections, Verbannen woorden [Forbidden Words] (2002) and Hollandse woorden [Dutch words] (2004). In 2002 he received the Dutch Eddy du Perron Prize for his oeuvre. His books have been translated into many European languages.
(http://www.bibliomonde.com/pages/fiche-auteur.php3?id_auteur=89)
