Launch: Hamza Koudri’s Sand Roses

INTERVIEW BY ELLEN IRWIN

Hamza Koudri has an MA in English Literature and Civilization and has been working in education and international development since 2008. Currently serving as the Country Director with the British Council in Algeria, he oversees a portfolio of English, STEM, higher education, and cultural programmes. Hamza co-authored “Social Responsibility Discretion in Algeria,” published in Responsible Management in Africa, and was runner up for The Island Prize 2022 for his debut novel Sand Roses, published by Holland House.

What was your “elevator pitch” for Sand Roses?

In 1931, two sisters arrive in an Algerian desert town bursting with dreams of becoming successful dancers, but the City of Joy, then occupied by the ruthless French colonial army, changes their lives forever.

When they kill a soldier in self-defense, Fahima and Salima must outsmart the French colonel who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. The sisters are driven further into a cycle of violence with every attempt to hide their crime. Risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones, the dancers find themselves at the heart of a clash between civilizations.

Sand Roses is a tale of resistance, sisterhood, and the shameful past of two colliding nations.

What was your inspiration for writing a story about the Ouled Nail dancers?  

It started with a podcast by historian Aurélie Perrier, talking about prostitution in colonial and Ottoman Algeria. When she mentioned the Ouled Nail dancers, I was both intrigued and frustrated to hear for the first time about this side of my country’s history. From the research spree that followed, one concept percolated in my mind: the tension between dancers and the French colonial army who tried to fit these performers’ work within their European norms of prostitution. From there sprung the setting and characters that make up Sand Roses.

How has the experience of growing up in Algeria influenced your writing?

Growing up, I was exposed to stories and literature from my culture, particularly in Arabic and French, then as I learned English, it gave me access to world literatures and I consumed historical fiction coming out of the four corners of the world. When abroad, I didn’t expect foreigners to be familiar with our history and culture, and I was surprised when a café owner in State College, Pennsylvania listed a few Algerian singers. Western media hasn’t exactly been kind on my part of the world, so Sand Roses presented an opportunity to increase our representation in Anglophone literature.

You oversee many educational and cultural programmes in your role as Country Director with the British Council of Algeria. Was a passion and advocacy for social equity a big part of your story?

Absolutely. Sand Roses showcases an ancient form of matriarchy when women enjoyed greater control of their bodies and financials than many modern-day cultures can begin to fathom. It also explores several forms of segregation as characters endure violence at the hands of the local community and the colonial army due to their gender, class, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Eventually, they are pushed to revolt against the status quo. Most importantly, it’s an attempt to bridge between cultures through the power of story.

Was there a particular historical figure or event you came across in your research that made a special appearance in Sand Roses?

Yes, quite a few. There was the world-renowned French artist, Etienne Dinet, whose paintings capture the intricate details of life in Bousaada, Algeria and the Ouled Nail dancers. In Sand Roses, locals light candles in his tomb for their wishes to come true. The Ferrero family, whose descendants are behind the Ferrero Rocher chocolate, were an integral part of the town’s history. Probably most prominent is the presence of the half-real half-myth figure of Hizya, a character from an old Algerian poem singing love and tragedy. In Sand Roses, Hizya embodies the dreams of young girls to become successful dancers.

What first drew you into the wonderful world of historical fiction?

They tell you to write what you enjoy reading. I have always been a huge fan of history and an avid reader of historical fiction. Books by Ken Follett, C.J. Sansom, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Amin Maalouf, Khaled Hosseini, Arthur Golden, and Elif Shafak (the list goes on) introduced me to far away times and places, and to inspiring characters who taught us lessons in humanity while shaping history in their own ways. Through Sand Roses, I try to imitate these outstanding works of art with an under-told story from our little-known neck of the woods.

What was the most significant challenge you had to overcome in your journey toward publication of this debut novel, and how did you overcome it?

Breaking into the publishing world is no easy feat, particularly in English-speaking contexts. It can be doubly hard for a non-native (speaker of English) author writing about a little-known culture. Add to that a story laden with physical and sexual violence against women. It doesn’t exactly make agents jump at the opportunity.

Several revisions and helpful feedback from wonderful beta-readers helped me attract some mild interest, but it wasn’t until Sand Roses was shortlisted for the Island Prize that I finally stood a chance at publication, thanks to support, feedback, and most valuable words of encouragement from publishers and writers like Karen Jennings. This finally led to Sand Roses being published in the United Kingdom and Algeria, and soon Nigeria and South Africa.

What is the best writing advice you have to share?

“Protect the process” is the most valuable advice I received, and I apply it across all aspects of my personal and professional life. It had taken me 18 months to write 20% of Sand Roses, but when I set up a consistent process and stuck to it with ferocious discipline, committing to waking up to write at five in the morning three times week, I completed the remaining 80% in about 6 months. Consistency allows us to stay connected with our work, and it fosters greater creativity. I believe I heard Dan Brown liken it to leaving the engine running, and I wholeheartedly relate to that analogy.

What is the last great book you read?

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.