Last November, students from the Luisen-Gymnasium and the Lycée Français International Simone Veil, accompanied by their modern literature teacher, Ms Trutin, were given the opportunity to meet the writer Azouz Begag. The meeting, held in the auditorium of the Luisen-Gymnasium, was part of the ‘German High School Prize’, an initiative of the Institut Français d’Allemagne (IFA) and its partners, Ernst Klett Sprachen (EKS) and the German Federation of Teachers of French (Vdf).
Azouz Begag was present to talk about his book ‘Né pour partir’, co-written with Mamadou Sow, a young man of Guinean origin. The novel, shortlisted for the German High School Prize 2024-2025, highlights profound themes such as immigration, integration and education. The aim of this literary prize is to familiarise young learners of French with the wealth of French-language literature, through works chosen for their literary quality and their relevance to a teenage audience.
Sophie E., Evgeny and Gabriel (2deA) share their impressions with us.
‘He surprised his audience by starting off in French, which, although poor, did not prevent them from understanding him: his aim was to encourage all of us to express ourselves, even in a language we do not master. Throughout the meeting, he integrated several languages into his sentences, including English, German, Spanish and even Portuguese, to better address everyone and promote multilingualism and cultural openness.
He was delighted to announce that the book had contributed to the regularisation of Mamadou Sow’s situation two weeks earlier.
He also gave a personal account of his life, talking about his illiterate Algerian parents and some of his memorable experiences abroad, in the United States, Brazil and of course Algeria, where he now enjoys the desert more than the cities.
Even though, during the exchange, he touched on often serious and sometimes even sensitive subjects, such as immigration, integration and education, he managed to maintain a cheerful, warm and positive tone. In defence of freedom, for example, he sang Peter Pan’s ‘I’m flying’ and waved his book like a bird taking flight.
In class, the students explored the ideas shared by Azouz Begag, concepts that have had a profound impact on each and every one of them, such as :
MIGRATION – ‘The future of migration lies in circulation’.
PLURILINGUALISM – A language can be learned quickly; a few basics are enough to speak a language: learn the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’ in three tenses, present, future and past, and gradually enrich your lexicon; each language has its own melody.
EDUCATION – Footballers are paid too much, teachers not enough; Education opens up the possibilities; Children’s success can make parents happy.
BOOKS – Writing sets you free; A book can save a life.
MISCELLANEOUS – To overcome obstacles, you have to get over your fears; You have to be a bit crazy to love freedom; You have to find happiness in what you have; Helping others is natural and makes you happy; Every encounter with new ideas enriches us and makes us grow.
The meeting was both inspiring and convivial, and left a strong impression on the students present. Azouz Begag showed himself to be a committed and accessible writer, capable of arousing curiosity and transmitting essential values to the younger generation. A lesson not only on literature, but also on humanity.
