Passion or Profession: Writer

Period: 1920–2003

A renowned novelist, short story writer, playwright, and poet, Dib was born in Tlemcen. As a child he was taught French, which would later become the language of his writings. Between 1952 and 1957, he published his first works, a trilogy of novels that began with The Big House (La Grande Maison). Dib's nationalist ties led to his deportation in 1959, and he settled in France. Though he never permanently returned to Algeria, many of Dib's works, especially those early in his career, deal with Algeria's struggle for independence and identity.