The Earthquake

One afternoon, Sheikh Abdelmajid Boularwah embarks upon a journey in search of distant relatives. His immediate family are ruthless, rich and collaborate with colonial authorities. He hopes his long-lost relatives, who are unknown to the new Communist government, might be better placed to help him defraud it. Through a labyrinth of back alleys and memories, Boularwah makes his way from Algiers across the seven bridges of Constantine, battling the forces of a rapidly changing society while confronting the demons of his own past. The Earthquake offers a surrealist vision of post-colonial Algeria - a society in chaos, a world turned upside down. Written in the early 1970s, this classic work by pioneering novelist Tahir Wattar presciently foretells the dreadful events which would later besiege his country.

Tahir Wattar (1969-2010) was a pioneer of the modern Arabic novel. Born into a Berber family in Sedrata, Algeria, he was a supporter of Arabisation in the wake of Algerian independence. In addition to his many novels, he wrote several plays and short stories. His works have been translated into French, Spanish and Italian and adapted for the theatre.