Driss Chraïbi (1926, El Jadida/formerly Mazagan-2007, Crest) is one of the most original Moroccan writers of French expression. Chraïbi’s first novel was a literary bombshell. Published at the height of the Franco-Moroccan conflict, this iconoclastic work spared neither French colonialism nor traditional Moroccan patriarchal society. In contrast, La Civilisation, ma Mère is a tender “coming of age” story about a Moroccan woman who challenges both “traditional” society and Western “progress”. Her story is narrated by her two sons.
Chraïbi’s life-celebrating, “Berber trilogy” is not only dedicated to his people, the Imazighen of Morocco, but to all who continue to resist the ravages of progress and the spiritual erosion resulting from the notion of “civilization”: “à toutes les minorités qui, somme toute, sont la plus grande majorité de notre monde et dont je suis le frère.”
(La Mère du printemps (L’Oum-er-Bia), 1982, Mother Spring, 1989).
Chraïbi is the author of 17 novels, 7 children’s books, several memoirs, short stories, and a radio play. He worked for many decades (beginning in the mid 1950’s) as a programmer and producer for France-Culture and the ORTF. He received the Prix de l’Afrique Méditerranéenne in 1973 and the Franco-Arab Friendship award in 1981.
The event is sponsored by:
The Department of French and Italian – VISIT
French Center of Excellence at OSU – VISIT
The Center for Languages, Literatures, and Cultures – VISIT
References/Images :
Main page image of Driss Chraibi – The writer Driss Chraibi in France in May 1995.
FRANCE – MAY 01: The writer Driss Chraibi in France in May 1995. (Photo by Louis MONIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Image of Driss and Sheena McCallion Chraïbi – private collection of Sheena McCallion Chraïbi
Book covers – Amazon
Image of Rue Driss Chraibi – Online article : Une rue au nom de Driss Chraibi à Crest
5 juillet 2008 – 20h57 – France – Ecrit par : L.A (Bladi.net)