In January 2021, Emmanuel Macron’s office announced that there will be “no repentance nor apologies” for colonial abuses in Algeria. A few weeks after this, I discovered that one of these abuses was forcibly changing Algerians’ surnames – including my family’s. Through searching for my name, I explore how the aftermath of the French occupation continues to play out in the present-day, and how cultures become diluted when they are intentionally fragmented - read the full piece in Shado Magazine.

Thanks to @nn.aa.ii for the accompanying illustration.