The Title Is Anything But Clear: What Is It About?

The most learned among us will immediately draw an analogy between the word “arkana”, which does not exist in any dictionary, and “arcane”, which instantly plunges us into the world of mysteries that permeate the narrative from start to finish.
But is that really what the book is about, or is it only part of the story?

Could there have been a more fitting venue than the palace of Ahmed Bey II in La Marsa for the presentation—by its author Sofiane Ben Mrad—of Tunis Arkana, a novel published by Sekelli Editions whose main events unfold in 19th‑century Tunis? Even though the lavish hall’s décor does not directly echo any episode of this four‑hundred‑plus‑page work, its walls summon a memory still humming with the echo of contemporary events that the author weaves into a story destined to become a reference point for many titles.

Moreover, a large part of the audience was composed of people whose lineage makes them more or less personally connected to the events that pepper the narrative. In other words, immersion in the plot was almost instantaneous and total. That was the atmosphere that reigned that Saturday in the beautifully restored beylical palace, now dedicated—thanks to its promoter, M. Rédissi—to enriching the cultural heritage of La Marsa. But let’s return to the purpose of this gathering.

A Title That Raises Questions

The book, titled “Tunis Arkana,” grabs attention right from the cover. The title, indeed, is anything but clear. What does it mean? The most erudite readers will instantly notice the parallel between the non‑existent word “arkana” and the real word “arcane,” which immediately ushers us into a realm of mysteries that saturate the story from beginning to end. Yet, is that all there is to it?

About the Content

For a detailed analysis of the novel’s content, we refer our readers to the excellent article by our colleague Amel Bou Ouni, published in these columns on 29 January. To avoid redundancy, we have chosen instead to focus on the author and the motivations that drove him to tackle a risky subject (and genre) that demanded five hard‑working years to culminate in this debut work—a thriller‑like novel steeped in history, a history known only to a small circle of near‑initiates who have preserved in memory what the official narrative chose to discard.

The Author’s Background

It is worth recalling that Sofiane Ben Mrad is not only the heir of a long family tradition in culture and knowledge, but also—through a web of alliances and social relations—deeply embedded in the network of actors who have managed the country’s public affairs for many generations. This places the author in a privileged position as a keen observer of past events and their present ramifications. His temperament helps; he does not shy away from diving head‑first into the fray, openly declaring his conviction that “our history has been falsified.”

He points to the official version’s treatment of the Husainid dynasty as proof, a dynasty he knows “in its every nook and cranny.” He vehemently rejects accusations of treason and foreign dependence, including ties to the Ottoman Empire. He insists on the dynasty’s integration into the local human substrate, its commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its fidelity to ancestral spiritual values.

However, this “defense and illustration” of the Husainid dynasty does not amount to a certificate of moral or political good conduct. That is not the author’s aim in the more than 400‑page narrative he develops. The darker side of the story—its greed, betrayals, and pettiness—is not hidden.

A “Treasure Hunt” With a Deeper Purpose

What emerges as the backdrop of this singular “treasure hunt” is an obsessive desire to exalt a city—Tunis—whose greatness is founded on the possession and preservation of knowledge, thanks to the wisdom and vigilance of its elite. Parallel to this concern, the author seeks to open readers’ eyes to truths that have, until now, been more or less swept under the rug. To achieve this, he places the plot at the service of real historical facts and characters, thereby highlighting episodes of our past that have shaped our present.

The result is a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, leaving you with a slight sense of disappointment when the final page is turned—an early separation from a story you do not want to end. Sofiane Ben Mrad, whose Tunis Arkana is his first work, promises that this will not be his last.

— Tahar AYACHI