The Novel in Morocco as Mirror of a Changing Society

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to explore the possible meanings of the notion of roman maghrébin in the Moroccan context. The phrase has been a dynamic concept since it was coined by Khatibi in the 1960s, and has changed along with transformations in Moroccan society and the development of the genre. Since the 1980s the novel has become one of the most relevant phenomena in the Moroccan cultural field. Already aware of the dynamic nature of literary genres and “national” cultures, Khatibi's visionary insights seem to contain all the elements of the cultural future of Morocco. With this in mind, I will explore how the novel and the critical debates around it reflect new perceptions of the national sphere in the twenty-first century.

KEYWORDS:

• Morocco
• Moroccan literature
• novel
• Arabic literature
• Amazigh
• national identity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gonzalo Fernández Parrilla

Gonzalo Fernández Parrilla is the author of a history of modern Moroccan literature, La literatura marroquí contemporánea (Ediciones de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 2006), dealing with the rise of the novel genre. He teaches at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Departamento de Estudios Árabes e Islámicos). His research and articles revolve around Moroccan literature and culture, the Arabic novel, and translation from Arabic.