hood ▁growing ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁tit ular ▁sh ant yt own ▁situated ▁on ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁Lyon , ▁his ▁experience ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁education ▁system , ▁and ▁his ▁identity ▁as ▁Muslim ▁and ▁a ▁second - gener ation ▁Al ger ian ▁imm igr ant ▁( known ▁in ▁French ▁as ▁a ▁be ur .) ▁The ▁novel ▁won ▁the ▁Prix ▁Sor ci ères ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁ ▁Context ▁of ▁the ▁Nov el ▁Sh ant yt own ▁Kid ▁is ▁set ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁a ▁period ▁that ▁directly ▁follows ▁the ▁up he aval ▁of ▁the ▁Al ger ian ▁struggle ▁for ▁independence . ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁infl ux ▁of ▁Al ger ian ▁imm igration ▁to ▁France ▁in ▁large ▁part ▁due ▁to ▁wide - scale ▁un emp loyment ▁catal yz ed ▁by ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁Al ger ia ' s ▁economic ▁infrastr ucture ▁following ▁the ▁Al ger ian ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁É v ian ▁Acc ords ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁Al ger ian ▁govern ments ▁signed ▁the ▁É v ian ▁Acc ords , ▁the ▁treat y ▁that ▁marked ▁the ▁official ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Al ger ian ▁War ▁and ▁of ▁French ▁Al ger ia . ▁In ▁this , ▁both ▁govern ments ▁reached ▁an ▁agreement ▁under ▁which ▁Al ger ian ▁migr ants ▁would ▁be ▁leg ally ▁author ized ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁France . ▁This ▁clause ▁also ▁provided ▁the ▁means ▁by ▁which ▁France ▁could ▁explo it ▁foreign ▁labor ▁by