One day an illiterate Algerian immigrant in Lyon gave his son, Azouz Begag, a book, saying, “This book is a bird.” How Begag took flight on the wings of learning is one of the stories that unfolds in this captivating autobiographical novel of growing up amid the multicultural complexities of contemporary France. Determined to leave behind the poverty of his shantytown life, Begag works to become a star pupil at the local primary school—earning the jealousy and rejection of his Arab playmates even as he contends with the anti-Arab racism of his French peers. Begag’s moving and often comical account of negotiating a path between the competing cultural spaces encountered during his childhood is a compelling tale of coming of age in a world of ethnic and racial tensions. A story for all ages, it is also very much of the moment, offering unique insights into the reweaving of the social fabric of France in response to growing ethnic diversity.

Shantytown Kid

BEGAG, Azouz

Biographies & Memoirs

Bison Books

In the fall of 2005 the streets of France were rocked by civil disturbances on a scale unseen for decades. Only months earlier Azouz Begag, France’s first minister for equal opportunities and first-ever cabinet minister of North African immigrant origin, wrote an essay laying bare the festering social and ethnic injustices that, as can now be seen in hindsight, led to the riots. This essay, published here for the first time, brilliantly documents the socioeconomic inequalities, ethnic discrimination, and political neglect that have bred a volatile generation of minority ethnic youths deeply distrustful of a society they believe has failed them. Blending autobiography with sociological and political analysis, Begag shows how social peace in France depends on transforming these disaffected youths into galvanized citizens. His insights into the malaise of France’s urban ghettos offer lessons for developed countries throughout the world—and hope for the similar challenges they face.

Ethnicity and Equality: France in the Balance

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Béni, ou, Le paradis privé: Roman (Collection Points. Série Point-virgule) (French Edition)

Reference

Foreign Language Study & Reference

SEUIL

L'Ilet-aux-Vents

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

POINTS

Les Tireurs d'étoiles

Les Chiens aussi

Les chiens aussi (Le Livre De Poche) (French Edition)

Le Gone du Chaâba: Roman

Du bon usage de la distance chez les sauvageons

Rossini, Reynald

Le Chaâba ? Un bidonville au bord du Rhône, près de Lyon, il n''y a pas si longtemps.Un amas de baraques en bois, trop vite bâties par ces immigrants qui ont fui la misère algérienne. Ici comme ailleurs, les éclats de rire des enfants résonnent dès le lever du soleil. Les " gones " se lavent à l''eau du puits et font leurs devoirs à même la terre. Mais chaque matin, ils enfilent leurs souliers pour se rendre à l''école avec les autres. Là, derrière les mots inscrits sur le cahier d''écriture, de nouveaux horizons apparaissent.Un monde de connaissances, de rêves et d''espoirs à découvrir. Premier roman d''Azouz Begag, Le Gone du Chaâba a connu un succès considérable et a été adapté au cinéma par Christophe Ruggia, en 1997.

Le gone du Chaâba (French Edition)

Literary

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