Walid Hajar Rachedi

Walid Hajar Rachedi is a French author and publisher currently in residency in Atlanta with Villa Albertine, exploring identity, immigration, and societal fractures through his project What’s Left of the American Dream. Born in France in 1981 to Algerian parents, he has lived in Latin America and the U.S. His debut novel, Qu’est-ce que j’irais faire au paradis?, was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize in 2022, and his second novel, Nos destins sont liés (Emmanuelle Collas, 2023), was deeply influenced by rap, one of his foundational inspirations. He is also the co-founder of Frictions, a renowned media platform known for long-form investigative storytelling and podcasts on global social issues.