Faces

"Mohamed Choukri (1935-2003) is one of the most important writers of modern Moroccan literature. Illiterate until the age of 20, he grew up speaking darijah, the spoken dialect of Moroccan Arabic, and spent his childhood in extreme poverty in Tangiers. After learning to read, he wrote works that changed modern Arab literature. His works include characters based on people he knew who lived in worlds rarely featured in literature. At the same time, he connected with the writers Paul Bowles (an early translator), Tennessee Williams, and Jean Genet, among many others. Faces, published in Arabic in 1996 and never before translated into English, is the third in his most famous trilogy, weaving together autobiography and fiction. His novel invites the reader to experience the places and events of his life through the eyes of a local, and paints a picture of daily life for all kinds of people. Like in life, he describes gritty events; abject poverty, prostitution, violence, sexual revelry, deprivation, and abuse almost casually. It is through these topics and his storytelling style that Choukri reflects on human nature, love, and kindness. He elevates and humanizes those undergoing poverty, places the blame for the violence they undergo squarely on colonial forces and then the resulting postcolonial government, and emphasizes the importance of community and collaboration. "I saw that writing could also be a way to expose, to protest against those who have stolen my childhood, my teenage-hood and a piece of my youthfulness," said Choukri. "At that moment, my writing became committed." His vivid portrayals of marginalized people, considered a taboo, led to censorship from 1983 to 2000 and a cultural backlash in the Arab world, which resulted in Faces being published late and not being translated before his death. Elbousty's elegant translation stays faithful to Choukri's writing and promises to remind readers of his importance and to bring him attention not just in Morocco but in discussions of contemporary Arab literature around the globe"--