Abdellatif Laâbi(1942 — ?)
Abdellatif Laâbi
Maroc
6 min read
Moroccan poet, novelist and translator born in 1942 in Fez. Founder of the journal Souffles and a major figure of French-language Moroccan literature, he was imprisoned for his ideas before receiving the Prix Goncourt for poetry in 2009.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born on 1 March 1942 in Fez (Morocco)
- In 1966 founded the literary and cultural journal Souffles, a hub of the Moroccan avant-garde
- Imprisoned from 1972 to 1980 for “undermining state security” during the Years of Lead
- Went into exile in France from 1985 onward
- Received the Prix Goncourt for poetry in 2009, then the Grand Prix de la Francophonie of the Académie française in 2011
Works & Achievements
A magazine he founded and edited, which became the manifesto of a generation of Moroccan writers and artists seeking renewal.
His first novel, a poetic and fragmented narrative exploring identity and the Moroccan condition.
A collection of poems written partly in prison, denouncing repression and celebrating freedom.
Letters written from his cell, a deeply moving testimony about prison and hope.
A largely autobiographical novel inspired by his experience in prison.
An autobiographical novel about his childhood in the medina of Fez, praised by critics.
A major literary honor rewarding the whole of his poetic work.
An award from the Académie française honoring his contribution to the French language.
Anecdotes
In 1966, at just 24 years old, Abdellatif Laâbi founded the magazine *Souffles* with a few poet friends. Printed on a shoestring budget, it quickly became the voice of a Moroccan generation that wanted to decolonize not only the country, but also minds and culture.
In 1972, Laâbi was arrested at his home because of his ideas and his writings. Sentenced to ten years in prison, he was tortured and spent nearly eight and a half years locked up. From his cell, however, he kept writing poems and letters that would be published clandestinely.
During his imprisonment, a vast international campaign called for his release: Amnesty International, writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, and intellectuals from all over the world signed petitions. This mobilization helped secure his release from prison in 1980.
In 2009, at age 67, Laâbi received the Goncourt Poetry Prize for his entire body of work. The man who had been imprisoned for his words was thus celebrated as one of the greatest French-language poets of his time.
His autobiographical novel *Le Fond de la jarre* (2002) recounts his childhood in the medina of Fez. The title evokes the large jars used to store oil and olives: for the child he once was, scraping the bottom of the jar was both a chore and an adventure.
Primary Sources
Something is changing. Something is taking shape within French-language Maghrebi creative work. The writers bear witness to it, seeking to define themselves in relation to an audience, to a collective destiny.
To write is to bite into the flesh of the fruit of life, to deliver the essential pulp to the air and the light.
Fez, my city, I have carried you within me like a wound and like a pride, through all my wanderings.
Poetry has always been for me a weapon of struggle and freedom, a way of saying no to barbarism and yes to human dignity.
Key Places
Birthplace of Laâbi in 1942, whose medina and childhood nourish his entire body of work, notably *The Bottom of the Jar*.
Capital where Laâbi studies, teaches, and founds the magazine *Souffles* in 1966.
Where Laâbi was held during much of his years of imprisonment (1972-1980), and where he continued to write.
Major city where political trials and protests were organized during the Years of Lead.
City where Laâbi settles in exile from 1985 onward and where he continues his work, recognized by the Goncourt Poetry Prize in 2009.