The Sand Child

novel by Ben Jelloun

Also known as: “L’Enfant de sable”

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

The Sand Child (L'Enfant de sable) is a novel by Moroccan French author Tahar Ben Jelloun, published in 1985. The novel critiques gender roles within Arab society by telling the story of a girl who is raised as a boy. This work brought Ben Jelloun widespread recognition and was followed by a sequel, The Sacred Night (La Nuit sacrée), which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 1987. The novel has been translated into numerous languages.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Tahar Ben Jelloun
…until L’Enfant de sable (1985; The Sand Child), an imaginative, richly drawn novel that critiques gender roles in Arab society through the tale of a girl raised as a boy, that Ben Jelloun was accorded widespread praise and recognition. Its sequel, La Nuit sacrée (1987; The Sacred Night), won France’s…
Read More
…until L’Enfant de sable (1985; The Sand Child), an imaginative, richly drawn novel that critiques gender roles in Arab society through the tale of a girl raised as a boy, that Ben Jelloun was accorded widespread praise and recognition. Its sequel, La Nuit sacrée (1987; The Sacred Night), won France’s…
Read More