Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Lee Bullen, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Moroccan-Dutch author Naima El Bezaz has reportedly killed herself at the age of 46 leaving behind seven renowned published works.
News of the writer’s death was reported by Dutch TV show Hart Vannederland and NOS news on 8th August while fellow Moroccan-Dutch writer and journalist Abdelkader Benali posted about the death of his friend on Twitter.
Benali said: “She immediately impressed me… she told me what I had to do as a writer to succeed.”
The writer, who was born in Meknes in Morocco and immigrated to the Netherlands with her family when she was four years old, launched her career when she was 21 years old.
Her debut novel ‘Road to the North’, the story of a young unemployed Moroccan who hopes for a better life in Europe, was published in 1995.
The writer was also known for her collection ‘Vinexvrouwen’ and she authored the book ‘The Vinex Women’ in 2010.
Her last novel ‘Serving the Devil’ was released in 2013.
In 2012, El Bezaz said that her work was “too direct” for many members of the public as it examines taboo subjects such as religion, sex and drugs.
At the time, she told Dutch news outlet NRC: “I’m a barrel full of prejudices. My mouth is too big and I’m too direct.”
A spokesperson for the TV show Hart Vannederland said that the author opened up about her battle with depression in several interviews.
After publishing a book on religion in 2006, El Bezaz said that she received numerous death threats which forced her to stop writing for a while and cut several relationships from her life, according to news outlet Al Aoual.
The author reportedly sought therapy for the death threats she was allegedly receiving at the time.
El Bezaz is survived by her husband and two daughters.
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