French Studies Colloquium, La Maison francaise of NYU *Co‐sponsored by the Remarque Institute, New York University*

*// et ses réceptions depuis la guerre d'indépendance en Algérie*

by *Henri ALLEG*, journalist and writer, author of /La Question/(1958), /Mémoire algérienne : Souvenirs de luttes et d'espérances/ (2005) (in French)

With a response by *Steven M. LUKES*, sociologist (New York University); author of /Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work. A Historical and Critical Study/ (1973), /Moral Conflict and Politics/ (1991), "Liberal Democratic Torture" (/British Journal of Political Science,/ 2005) (in English)

Originally published in 1958, /The Question/ is the book that opened the torture debate in France during 's war of independence and was the first book since the eighteenth century to be banned by the French government for political reasons.

At the time of his arrest by French paratroopers during the Battle of in June of 1957, Henri Alleg was a French journalist who supported Algerian independence. He was interrogated for one month. During this imprisonment, Alleg was questioned under torture, with unbelievable brutality and sadism. /The Question/ is Alleg's profoundly moving account of that month and of his triumph over his torturers. Jean‐Paul Sartre's preface remains a relevant commentary on the moral and political effects of torture on both the victim and perpetrator.

This new edition by Bison Books (University of Nebrask Press) marks the first time since 1958 that /The Question/ has been published in the United States. For this edition Ellen Ray, coauthor of /Guantanamo: What the World Should Know/, provides a foreword.

Wednesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. La Maison Française 16 Washington Mews New York, NY 10003