Trafika Europe 6 - Arabesque

about the authors & works

Tahar Ben Jelloun Celebratednovelist Tahar Ben Jelloun (born in Fez,Morocco, 1944) studied philosophy at Mohammed V University in Rabat, and received his doctorate in social psychology from the Sorbonne. Jelloun has lived in Paris since 1972 and written more than 23 works. Fully bilingual from childhood, he chooses to write his novels in French rather than Arabic, although virtually all have been situated in North Africa. He is the first Arab writer to have been honoredwith the Prix Goncourt, and has received numerous other accolades including the Cross of Grand Officer of the Légion d’honneur, awarded by Nicolas Sarkozy. He has been a vocal critic of tyranny in the Middle East, and addressed aspects of the Arab Spring in notable fiction and essays. Yet foremost, as he puts it, he is “a storyteller, a novelist, and a fabulator who plays with words and with the imaginary.” Ablation relates the experience of the author’s friend, who undergoes life-changing surgery. This work meshes past and present, and combines fiction, reportage, colloquial speech and medical terminology, to explore the identity and inner struggle of the unfortunate protagonist. Translated from French by Clayton McKee.

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