Woman country: German rights sold to Luchterhand

Luchterhand Verlag has acquired German rights for Woman Country by Rachida Lamrabet. The German translation of this awardwinning novel will be published in Sammlung Luchterhand, a prestigious series of contemporary authors. Sammlung Luchterhand features work by Michail Bulgakov, Nathan Englander, Pablo Neruda, Christa Wolf, Victor Pelevin and Dimitri Verhulst.

Woman Country is Rachida Lamrabet's debut novel. The book has attracted a great deal of interest and was extremely well received. Her second book, a collection of stories called God's child, has recently been published. Already this is hailed as a 'masterpiece' (Knack).

Last month Rachida Lamrabet received the annual prize for the best Flemish debut. Earlier this year Woman Country was nominated for the Selexyz debut prize. The novel has just reached the longlist of the Dutch Academica Debutantenprijs.

Rachida Lamrabet creates in Woman Country a subtle and convincing portrait of a fascinating woman, who, standing firmly by her decisions must pay the social and intellectual price. Mariam, a Moroccan Woman in Antwerp who has chosen a Western lifstyle, embraces her personal freedom, but not without encountering opposition and doubt. At the end of a holiday in Morocco she agrees, without thinking, to marry Younes. For five years he waits for her to return. Meanwhile Faïza hopes that Younes will notice her instead. Finally, deciding to deliver one last desperate letter to Mariam in Europe in person, Younes dies on the illegal crossing to Spain. A survivor carries the letter on to Mariam...

English sample translation available.