Jalila Hafsia

Jalila Hafsia
Hafsia (right) greeting Habib Bourguiba in 1957
Native name	جليلة حفصية
Born	(1927-10-17)17 October 1927 M'saken, Sousse, French Tunisia
Died	10 August 2023(2023-08-10) (aged 95) Tunis
Occupation	Writer, journalist
Language	Arabic, French
Nationality	Tunisian
Notable works	Ash at Dawn (Cendres à l’aube)

Jalila Hafsia (Arabic: جليلة حفصية; 17 October 1927 – 10 August 2023) was a Tunisian writer who published one of the first Tunisian novels written in French.

Biography

Jalila Hafsia was born in M'saken on 17 October 1927.[1][2] After receiving her education she worked for several cultural institutions, eventually serving as director of the Tahar Haddad Cultural Club, a prominent cultural club often associated with women writers.[3] In 1975 she published Ash at Dawn (Cendres à l’aube), one of the first novels by a Tunisian woman to be written in French.[4]

Hafsia was an admirer of Simone de Beauvoir, with whom she corresponded.[5] In 2019 she was named a grand officer of the Tunisian Order of the Republic for her cultural achievements.[6]

Jalila Hafsia died on 10 August 2023 in Tunis, at the age of 95.[7]

Honors

In 2019, Jalila Hafsia was awarded the insignia of Grand Officer of the Tunisian Order of Merit.[8]

References

1. "Quelle est la première femme tunisienne à avoir écrit un roman en langue française ?". Yaluna. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
2. "La journaliste et romancière Jalila Hafsia tire sa révérence". Réalites. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
3. Labidi, Lilia. "The Nature of Transnational Alliances in Women's Associations in the Maghreb: The Case of AFTURD and ATFD in Tunisia." Journal of Middle East Women's Studies 3, no. 1 (2007): 6-34. Accessed 24 October 2020. doi:10.2979/mew.2007.3.1.6.
4. Kréfa, Abir (2 December 2014). "The Body and Sexuality in Tunisian Literature Issues Surrounding the Recognition, Costs, and Effects of "Transgressing"". Travail, Genre et Sociétés. 26.
5. projettut (5 July 2019). "HOMMAGE A JALILA HAFSIA A LA BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE -" (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
6. "Après une longue éclipse, la Tunisie célèbre ce jeudi la Journée nationale de la culture (Vidéo)". Leaders (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
7. "Décès de Jalila Hafsia". Business News. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
8. "Après une longue éclipse, la Tunisie célèbre ce jeudi la Journée nationale de la culture (Vidéo)". leaders.