Books

Literature about Morocco is rich and diverse. Storytelling is an ancient Moroccan tradition, as many of the dialects of Morocco are, in fact, oral and not written. Visit a weekly souk or the Djemma al Fna square in Marrakesh and you will see storytellers in action. St. Paul, an American writer and composer, began tape recording, transcribing (into Moroccan Arabic) and translating these stories in the 1950’s. Mohammed Mrabet, Larbi Layachi and Ahmed Yacoubi collaborated with Bowles. Paul Bowles' stories reflect the darker side of the human spirit, Morocco and its people serving as his characters’ environment.

Both Moroccan authors (some in exile because of their writings) and authors from other countries living in Morocco have depicted a lively image of the country. Paul Bowles, Elias Canetti and Tahar Ben Jelloun are among the most famous. Many writers, like Tahar Ben Jelloun and Driss Chraibi, live in exile and write in French, throwing an interesting, almost critical light, on Moroccan culture.

Anthropology is a hot topic and there are plenty of excellent writers on gender, politics and human rights. Fatima Mernissi is the most famous and writes for and about Moroccan women. Her studies on Moroccan culture and women are well worth reading, they may change your experience while traveling in Morocco.