ORAN — Acclaimed author Yasmina Khadra said Thursday in Oran that books “will forever retain their significance,” even amid a world increasingly dominated by social media platforms and artificial intelligence.

During a literary debate at the “La Fourmi” Theatre in the Liberté Hotel in Oran, the author discussed the position of literature in today’s cultural landscape with marked optimism, though he underscored the challenges it faces, notably the mounting challenge from social media, which he described as “traps” for the youth.

When examining young people’s engagement with reading, Yasmina Khadra addressed pessimistic views. “The issue is not that young people do no to read. When offered quality literature, they read it,” he said, pointing to the substantial turnout witnessed around particular authors at the recent Algiers International Book Fair (SILA).

“There were authentic surges of people around certain authors. This serves as evidence that books still spark great interest,” he added.