Saqi Books has recently published a reissue of Tahir Wattar’s modern Algerian classic novel, The Earthquake, on its 50th anniversary. Wattar is a renowned Algerian author whose works have been salient in understanding the complexities of post-colonial Algeria. The events of the book take place in the nascent stages of the country’s independence. However, Tahir Wattar’s world is far from idyllic. He depicts a grotesque society in profound turmoil after colonial entities have ravaged their lives. A rift has been created among a community that must reconcile their rapture at independence with the…