An exciting opportunity for English-language publishers everywhere.
While Rabat and Casablanca grab the publishing headlines, Marrakech is setting the stage for the 2nd Marrakech English Book Festival, running January 17-19.
Yassine Adnan, poet, novelist and festival president, elaborates on how this event has created a vital bridge between Moroccan writers and their English-speaking peers, fostering a rich dialogue between Arab and international literature.
Strengthening Cultural Connections
Adnan highlights the festival’s objective to facilitate meaningful interactions among writers and intellectuals from diverse continents. The event aims to nurture cultural exchanges, enhance mutual understanding through English literature, and connect writers with audiences on a global scale.
Elevating Morocco’s International Presence
By hosting authors from various continents, the festival not only showcases Morocco’s vibrant literary scene but also enhances the city’s global cultural presence. This year’s festival will shine a spotlight on Moroccan writers in the diaspora, thanks to a collaboration with the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME). This partnership seeks to foster interactions between Moroccan authors living abroad and their counterparts at home, encouraging the publication of English-language books and translations in Morocco.
Overcoming Challenges in English Book Distribution
The festival plays a key role in addressing the challenges of distributing English books in Morocco, whether locally published or imported. With more Moroccan authors writing in English, there’s a pressing need to improve the accessibility of their works.
Celebrating Moroccan Poetry and Literary Heritage
The Marrakech English Book Festival will feature extensive programming focused on Moroccan poetry written in English. It will also include exhibitions of foreign books about Moroccan civilisation and the rich history of Marrakech, along with conferences, book signings, creative workshops, and children’s activities held at the Dar El Bacha Museum and other festival venues.
Recognising Literary Excellence
This year’s festival will introduce a new national book prize, the Costa Goldex Prize, celebrating Moroccan literary works in English. The inaugural award will be presented to Oum Hani Alaoui for her novel “The House on Butterfly Street.”
Promoting English Literature and Education
Per the press release – https://lnkd.in/eeAP-w-T – the Marrakech English Book Festival is not just an event; it’s a celebration of the city’s linguistic diversity and a testament to Morocco’s growing openness to the English language alongside Arabic, Amazigh, and French.
An exciting opportunity for English-language publishers everywhere.
This post first appeared in the TNPS Linked newsfeed.
