Hafid Bouazza Explained

Hafid Bouazza (ar|حفيظ بوعزة, ḥafīẓ būʿazza; 8 March 1970 – 29 April 2021) was a Moroccan-Dutch writer.^[1]

Born in Oujda, Morocco, Bouazza came to the Netherlands in October 1977 as a seven-year-old boy. He lived with his parents in the village Arkel, near Gorinchem, until he went to study Arabic language and literature at the University of Amsterdam.^[1]

He received the E. du Perron prize for his 1996 debut De voeten van Abdullah (The feet of Abdullah).^[2] Later works include Momo and Solomon, in 2001 Een beer in bontjas ("A bear in a fur coat"); the play adaptions Apollien, De slachting in Parijs ("The massacre in Paris") and Othello; and Het monster met de twee ruggen : een kameropera ("The beast with two backs: a libretto"). Bouazza gave the 2002 Mosse Lecture, titled Homoseksualiteit en Islam (Homosexuality and Islam).^[3] His 2004 novel Paravion won the 2004 Golden Book-Owl prize.^[2] His novel Spotvogel appeared in 2009, after years of silence. Bouazza, an atheist,^[1] is known for his criticism of Islam. His sister Hassnae is a noted journalist.^{[4] [5]} In 2014, the Dutch freethinkers association De Vrije Gedachte honoured him with the title of "Freethinker of the Year".^[1]

Bouazza died in hospital in Amsterdam on 29 April 2021. He had been struggling with poor health and drug use.^[6]

Works

• 1996 De voeten van Abdullah (The feet of Abdullah)^[7]
• 1998 Momo (Momo)^[7]
• 1998 Apollien (Apollien)^[7]
• 2000 Schoon in elk oog is wat het bemint (Beauty in each eye is what it loves)^[7]
• 2001 Een beer in bontjas: autobiografische beschouwingen (A bear in a fur coat: autobiographical considerations)^[7]
• 2001 De slachting in Parijs (The massacre in Paris)^[7]
• 2001 Salomon (Salomon)^[7]
• 2002 Rond voor rond of als een pikhouweel (Round for round or as a pickaxe)^[7]
• 2003 Othello (Othello)^[7]
• 2003 Het monster met de twee ruggen : een kameropera (The beast with two backs: a libretto)^[7]
• 2003 Paravion (Paravion)^[7]
• 2005 Het temmen van een feeks (The taming of the Shrew)^[7]
• 2006 De zon kussen op dit nachtuur (Kissing the sun at this hour of the night)^[7]
• 2006 De vierde gongslag (The fourth beat of the gong)^[7]
• 2006 Om wat er nog komen moet : pornografica (Because of what's to come: pornographics)^[7]
• 2009 Spotvogel (Hippolais)^[7]
• 2014 Meriswin^[7]

Notes and References

1. News: Hafid Bouazza: oer-Hollandse jongen met een passie voor middeleeuwse literatuur . Ally Smid . . 18 May 2014 . 14 March 2015.
2. Web site: In memoriam Hafid Bouazza (1970-2021). Arjan Peters. Werkgroep Caraibische Letteren. 29 April 2021. nl.
3. News: Nederland slikt te veel onzin van moslims. Bouazza. Hafid. Hafid Bouazza. 20 September 2002. NRC Handelsblad. 6 February 2019. Dutch. The Netherlands swallows too much nonsense from Muslims.
4. Web site: Zomergasten:Hafid Bouazza. VPRO. 10 May 2009. Dutch. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091020004201/http://www.vpro.nl/programma/zomergasten/afleveringen/12752542/. 20 October 2009.
5. Web site: Leven zonder God, elf interviews over ongeloof:Hafid Bouazza. 10 May 2009. Dutch. Hoei, Boei. Harm. Visser. 23 February 2006. 17 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110817233357/http://hoeiboei.web-log.nl/hoeiboei/2006/02/hafid_bouazza.html. dead.
6. Web site: Schrijver Hafid Bouazza (51) overleden. 29 April 2021. nos.nl. 29 April 2021 . nl.
7. Web site: Bouazza, Hafid (1970-). National Dutch Library. 29 April 2021.