• Brief cultural biography
  • Learned the Quran in his village.
  • Joined the Institute of Abdul Hamid Ben Badis in Constantine, then the Zaytuna Mosque to study linguistics and law.
  • Participated in the liberal revolution in the ranks of the National Liberation since 1956.
  • First writing attempts in 1953; first story published in 1956 in the Tunisian Al Sabah newspaper; stories published in the Tunisian Al Fikr magazine until 1961.
  • Founded the first independent weekly newspaper in Algeria (Al Ahrar) in Constantine and (Al Jamaheer) in 1963 in the capital Algiers.
  • Went on to issue a literary supplement to (Al Sha’ab) newspaper entitled (Al Sha’ab Al Thakafi) in 1973; he then issued the magazines (Al Tabyeen and Al Qaseeda) in 1990.
  • And in 1996, he issued a magazine dedicated to shortstories which was part of (Al Jahithia).
  • Heads the Al Jahithia Cultural Association which he founded in 1989.
  • Founded a publishing house affiliated to Al Jahithia which has published over 20 titles since its establishment in 1995.
  • Participated in several literary forums and conferences in the Arab world and on the international level.
  • Served as General Manager of the Algerian radio (1990-1992).
  • Member of the Arab Thought Forum – Jordan.
  • Some of his works have been turned into motion pictures.

Prominent awards

– Sharjah Prize for Arab culture

– 2005 Major Publications Novels

– Al Laz

– The Earthquake

– Al Hawat wal Qasir

– A Mule’s Wedding

– An Experience in Love – Rumana

– The Candle and the Dark Corridors

– al-Wali al-Tahir yaud ila Maqamihi al-Zaki Short Story Collections

– Smoke from My Heart

– El Ta’nat 

– Martyrs are Coming Back this Week Plays

– On the Other Bank

– The Fugitive Translations

– Poems by Francis Combe (Appentis du Printemps) Some of El Taher Wattar’s work has been translated to a dozen languages including:

Russian, English, German, French, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Greek, Uzbek and Azerbaijani.

Contact details: Tel: 0021321602638 – Fax: 0021321633421 – Al Jahithia Cultural Association, 8 Rue Ahmed Reda Houhou, Algiers, Algeria.