Les belles de Tunis sont en deuil

This text commemorates the passing of Nine Moati Cariès, a recognized Franco-Tunisian writer, whose death in early May 2021 was reported by Tunisian media but received limited coverage in French press. Nine Moati’s literary work, particularly her novel Les Belles de Tunis, reflects her deep connection to Tunisia, a country she considered her emotional and memorial homeland. The preface of the Maghreb francophone edition of Les Belles de Tunis (2004) highlights her motivation to document Tunisian history, inspired by her husband’s inquiries about her ancestors and her country. Moati describes the oral tradition of memory preservation in Tunisia, contrasting it with Western archival practices. Her narrative spans the French Protectorate, early 20th-century Tunisia, and her personal experiences during World War II and Tunisia’s independence. The text also references her brother Serge Moati, his works (e.g., Villa Jasmin), and their shared Tunisian upbringing, as well as their father, Serge Moati (1903–1957), a journalist, socialist, and resistant. The author, Christophe Neff, reflects on discovering Tunisia’s history and his own through the Moati siblings’ writings, purchased at the Mille feuilles bookstore in La Marsa. ... mehrThe blog post underscores the cultural and historical significance of Nine Moati’s contributions to Franco-Tunisian literature and memory.