Rabat – At his formal induction this Saturday into the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium in Brussels, writer Boualem Sansal made clear he is considering leaving France, a country where he has lived for around two decades and where most of his literary work has been published.
Sansal spoke in unusually blunt terms in the days surrounding the ceremony, describing a growing sense of isolation. “France is over for me,” he said on the eve of his entry into the Academy. “I only have a few months left here, then I will leave.”
In comments later published by Le Figaro, the French-Algerian novelist said he no longer feels he can remain in France given what he describes as sustained personal attacks. “Why stay in a country where I face attacks from morning to night?” he asked. He insisted that disagreement and debate no longer define his public life. “Criticism is part of my work, I live with it. What I face now is not criticism, it is insult.”
Sansal pointed to what he called a small group of influential voices in French intellectual and media circles, which he accused of seeking to discredit him. He said he does not plan to stop writing or speaking out. Instead, he suggested a relocation to Switzerland or Belgium, from where he would continue his public interventions.
“I will leave. I can go to Switzerland or Belgium. From there I will continue to speak every day,” he said.
His remarks also carried a more severe tone when he described the climate around him as a form of intellectual repression. “They present me as if I were a criminal. I need to leave. This goes beyond Algeria. This is a form of control over thought, a way to make me quiet and afraid,” he said.
Sansal also acknowledged that his exchanges with ordinary citizens remain positive. He described frequent encounters with readers in public spaces who thank him for his work. “People come to me in the street, young and old, even teenagers, and they express support,” he said. “The issue comes from a small circle that tries to dominate the debate.”
Sansal, who received French citizenship in 2024, has had a difficult recent period. He spent a year in detention in Algeria after public positions that drew controversy in his country of birth. He was released in late 2025 following a presidential pardon by Abdelmadjid Tebboune, issued after a request from German authorities.
He now lives in the Paris region, where he receives treatment for several health conditions. Yet his relationship with the city remains strained. “I do not think I will stay in France,” he said. “I do not like Paris.”
His next book, “La Légende”, due for release on June 2 by Grasset, revisits his time in detention. He has also spoken about tensions with his publisher Gallimard, suggesting disagreements over how his situation was handled during his imprisonment. “I am not a piece of property whose fate others negotiate,” he said.
