FATIMA DAAS »SPIEL DAS SPIEL«

In German and French

Kayden is never alone: at home, her mother and big sister are always by her side. At school, there are her friends: Nelly, the athlete, Samy, the dreamer, and Djenna, who never lets anyone fool her. Kayden observes how everyone is looking for their place in a rigid system. She writes down what she sees - and what she doesn't see.
One day, Madame Fontaine, the strict French teacher at her new school, reads one of her texts. A door opens, she senses: Kayden will be the next to pass the entrance exam for the elite Sciences Po university. Kayden doesn't know if that's what she wants; what she wants is to spend time with her teacher. Only much too late does she realize the imbalance in their relationship - that Mme Fontaine plays by different rules than she does.

Fatima Daas tells a powerful and haunting story of close homes and even closer friendships, of solidarity and racism - and of the narrow ideas that institutions have of young people from the banlieue. Does Kayden have to play the game - or can she change it?

Fatima Daas was born in France in 1995, the youngest child of Algerian parents. In her debut novel The Youngest Daughter, she comes to terms with her Algerian origins and her French life, her Muslim faith and her homosexuality. The novel was on the French bestseller list for weeks, was acclaimed by the press and translated into numerous languages. In 2021, the German translation was awarded the International Literature Prize.

In cooperation with the Institut français Bonn and the Institute for Romance Studies at the University of Bonn