Tales of Tangier
The Complete Short Stories of Mohamed Choukri
Mohamed Choukri author Jonas Elbousty translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Published:11th Jul '23
Should be back in stock very soon
The complete short stories of acclaimed Moroccan author Mohamed Choukri, translated into English and collected in one volume for the first time
A World Literature Today Notable Translation of 2023
“Choukri is one of Morocco’s most revered figures. . . . To have his words translated is to have the privilege to view the inner world of his intellect and the obscured landscapes of Tangier.”—Noshin Bokth, The New Arab
Mohamed Choukri’s vivid stories invite the reader to wander the streets of Tangier, the ancient coastal crossroads between Europe and Africa, and to meet its denizens at markets, beaches, cafés, and brothels. Choukri’s Tangier is a place where newborns are for sale, swindlers hawk the Prophet’s shoes, and boys collect trash to sell for food.
Choukri says that “writing is a protest, not a parade.” And in these thirty-one stories he privileges the voices of those ignored by society: the abused, the abandoned, the addicted. The tales are at once vibrant local vignettes and profound reflections on the lives, sufferings, and hopes of Choukri’s fellow Tangerines.
“Choukri is one of Morocco’s most revered figures. . . . To have his words translated is to have the privilege to view the inner world of his intellect and the obscured landscapes of Tangier.”—Noshin Bokth, The New Arab
A World Literature Today Notable Translation of 2023
“Dark and vibrant, full of sex and death and plenty of flies.”—Marcia Lynx Qualey, Qantara.de
“With an unflinching focus on the spaces and people that the Moroccan state would like to keep invisible, Choukri’s trailblazing stories give voice to the marginalized and constitute a powerful act of literary protest.”—Jonathan Smolin, Dartmouth College
“Jonas Elbousty’s vivid, precise, and poetic translation brings to English readers a new cache of work by Mohamed Choukri. At once disorienting, violent, strange, and modern, these narratives both enrich and complicate our understanding of the essential Tangier author.”—Brian T. Edwards, Tulane University
“A fabulous introduction to Choukri's work. Jonas Elbousty's translation captures the raw directness of Choukri's style. I would recommend this translation to anyone who would like to read Choukri in English or to learn more about modern Moroccan literature. I also recommend the book to anyone planning a trip to Tangier. The book opens a fascinating window into life in Tangier in the 1960s and 70s.”—Eric Calderwood, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
ISBN: 9780300251357
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
264 pages