Ahmed FagihAlaa Al AswanyAlgeriaAmara LakhousEgyptFictionHisham MatarLaila LalamiLeila AbouzeidLibyaMoroccoNaguib MahfouzNorth AfricaShort storiesYasmina Khadra
On a North African Literary Journey
The Africa Reading Challenge and Middle East Challenge have introduced me to a whole new world - North Africa. Thanks to them I've read The Yacoubian Building, The Anatomy of Disappearance, and What the Day Owes The Night. Not much I know, but it's a start. I have also recently acquired The Secret Son by Laila Lalami and In the County of Men by Hisham Matar and just started reading Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz (but at nearly 500 pages, I am really pacing myself with that one). I am being introduced to a world that I have always been curious about, but never really knew and I am hooked. On a daily basis I am discovering new authors and books that I just have to read. There are a few blogs that have great lists on North African literature and I am not going to replicate them. Instead, I hope to complement them by showcasing some books I've been dying to read for a while - the ones that form part my ever-growing wish-list. If like me, you want to know more about North African literature then check out The Wononi Blog's North African Literature, Kinna's North African Reading List, Reading through Northern Africa, and Arabic Literature (in English).
Algeria
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0bSZdVqtFwbt97H-aJoO9hieVMCVaXTPVuMKPPxDkDjgbOL5F7EXoLuPsYhCqknCwpo0pdwPM1TtPYa-ofXynBHK0htCoiChtuP-lx3q7Aq4qIiDzk5Z0NnBeHVZziAvrOtT0x2mG_MY/s200/algeria_divorce,+islamic+style.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7lWjtlKEPT6PvtkI5FsU-4EmfT7mcfgzyohW-GScERLCWIzNCYhKJjcfUsHuMpX9lKg2v3CmgDEN_MLV6G9bepJngmdvbU3IkRhLGpcgaOiePeGT2vTZfP5-1gprpstAneUtGzzB2jvL/s200/algeria_memoryintheflesh.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZbiz1de8cgR2y5KnVsHdvb-0ThotamVbqA3DMwmYi47aZk1INnXrgHQHy7KRUSRHruMSGwIbrcVaT4iMF3IBw-0jUii3G-OgLGd8LxIBhtzGSxwnhzm3gg9iqqNu2LQm2mnZmkVDNgWF/s200/algeria_chaosofthesenses.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdFN3EcqOu-Xjqp4y66pZ_RG-XLlbd3VcKJyySu3vDmgbH1Lnv1peyrP7zKQ7NuAn179sU7D5Y1qXTpNRwwtJt2jin7fKa920o6RuZa2P-yo_ij0bvrHViB2UP1p9XFxJ410buFsBB8ss/s200/khadra_wolfdreams.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitidrG5fGUDOk2gnkL3wEvbXyl6_iqq4MKWOkH-bvLZF3N4c6D7uUxsKW3tlA7DL6DlKHxWsJ9x2O_HIsv8x7U2b8B8qaOwS9s1arn1mYoIzRnl31p00smFYSjzH5O7TSl6jQWuQzK0gt6/s200/algeria_thestars.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pYfm5tJVBw0cajvpwow2PUsTCK_1Q15H3nTK9PHwpdxiBhzMvhLMj0rFjk5J_Q3R242WV_TRohGTNe_cuFudaHiFcqxHZHGRTaa3gQG3ogtO14pR-MXIonpfB0XBbc7Sr31qYWWVJ7XW/s200/algeria_nedjma.jpg)
Egypt
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGRi1qdzAIevkr3t6zaKkhd8QNQVvyW0xwo1xhhHOQ1ml-FUBBfyf8lM8g_9Adon_V033lXcvNtGu_TRag9W64hOB-wBeXuPxDJzPQyrBypWQFD9f5Pwg-HyPrjq_f6QWL0UE4KdbElSh/s200/egypt_brooklynheights.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_rYD61rZkA5JNZaxTfAu8tfoQ90VztWhsuXVggBFeEzpCnxxfVehXydZb4PI-QC83W8PkTz_vySOCocDSh4-tOzpxLThhfHzRdsLnGj6o5Sfma9muSxJm7qKb9ClPP-Uf6dl3WshlEVK/s200/egypt_ithinkofu.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiiTxbaeK2xywmn7xJLMTVMPYUkfFN5fqTXIpZRVLGHNfBxskz2A0FJCfOLmVBA-HNa91ORVYxLZJRlJyeLixNUasyon4Z8pl3oZffIy3qwRhwXb0jokKsXKvg2QmhZUWYaO5Vvwd4zgv/s200/egypt_loveinexhile.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzX3Z14QeqCxUp5LS6SJo3EH8vWn_RK89EUZbAvM6TZrSFXdI0aUS9WoiXidjhk1Q8uNSnVKldS0H7RMElo6KiPNSl014WkUna8-gRKxkbOt2CkoidnQ6_0o8u4Jv4YmlY4LIwuPw-vDv/s200/egypt_minaret.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9o80fkDuuaBe3borWEBSMB5p_-AN8P0-RGVOX1HL3wrYZOlAp-CTMINepzY40sDhXiylWMkNV55uj5fhtPUmf2w2XLSaWJFzcvmLm-E99jXyadeLaub7ky2FLr9Lkaj3ipI8CcAjmyH8v/s200/egypt_theotherplace.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV-eyyvZ3IWa58JSBAPrl2mrkBqa2Gye1sRk4cIFtO1PMY4Y_gTy6EjKICjk6LlNUPdw4vEWAgosHflmxjyi7SUkETnAG0Y6sIP2sDXIqCr6kZJrFND1CfpJAz8-bOKQEWUZvU0oeVAP3/s200/egypt_jasmine.jpg)
Libya
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYia02h-GK1TiGtpwbyRQIQRYd5Ejh8aShzGFTGV3HDyvWmkyvhUFeByt5GFcIEqcFWU7vXSVaRCnNDCKvVeunSDXj1VTRm0NIuygUEQOeX597loDfY_o1aiEYWEDxWALd2yr3EgB7MoSV/s200/libya_homelessrats.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxf8FBYLiiHvUI6LbopVT5ZjXTmqGUhhoPm6iWqfq0tgmyfbD9wkP7xUtSUrYNDYhh0CvZcNjkxsOomd9kA7nxUae57IhOYPw2Fs4gmUQxsEjb_jYFBCz_LZFxwjRXsOoPBYcMhRW1fEu/s200/libya_gardensofthenight.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9VQFYpcTGnJkI57sXTJPcya9vdPUo4LBqzs7w87215OKByTxtMMj0ShyphenhyphenzGtNU2HTQJ3OfYc-H8TxmnXR5vM4L7hZfydp9lq9lxcnDUAxuO4eFsJuzKieCXN-zRi725qgxtoCi7NiZkRx/s200/libya_thepuppet.jpg)
Morocco
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJD5_EmIJscGYY34a1I98iRmn1OtnVqs_QyLies3FuJvL4cMKKR2SVenc5ZZBw3RxSW2khK4Y7h-UbTxgtKWNHLIc0466L6ttYN9jlNVb75eLLudNES0wojj_jyXn7gFTAuujFm6PWHQc/s200/abouzeid_moroco_chapter.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNblDJ2VC3by_UCbWT9MyJ6vnfovZ4b_MXI0fvpoJm1PVksEGAl7ByqjqQWhlNZb2jbTlYcF9CFOtxV0ywycUJHwM1ZNNqHIgr8r7nVF5e4Wegqd4F3GEeaABSJUbkxQsjI5y0Zmpw7Nd/s200/abouzeid_moroco_director.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPO097uwuBcg4xpXk3dJiSnU_-IfdnA1UkskjvMlkLnaAcslnY9vfzLQt83TYQONjNiNXLwlm2A4OPVbX4gL4jBWHmsvnL7Nkvhe3Iy2VyaX3qMIw01TjYx67VWCGhGC6SE537Wwwl7NG/s200/abouzeid_moroco_elephant.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06cO0lo9XMgd8Vpy1E0nkMGDTpjwk5CA8tp4Frb3KOM8aNuq0V0q37KoelEWt6VfFEuj6SrRw5nPtzv717Jjm6axs2Wf2XFOsffjRxJSFtGXMUHOvcsmn5b4_1VtUfWXVBbgaJ9zm3aNZ/s200/moroco_hope+and+otherpursuits.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO9x93exe5f7ZOSEOBcospeYRUuU_qBX9vVQcOlBIZmFghK4hPVdbh4N196DGaPg6qpsUOt1QSbn_VlyRNiK5Kjd9hjMcn0e9IeLRSS-Q_pl4A2o6EVACkGsMuf9_lBCT46lQ_-zUqY_2/s200/moroco_secretson.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeG__toardtWpfoqqxaKePx-YzCoH_2bUIkFbf0gMnDEvrViOK4Q3FatdCN-W9wVGs0Th9Ge4HM7fz1zFCMXFRs9FgmUnAtaABei47j390ioVE_kBhkejKzzmjyzd6YKABkC2NxyKfIMY/s200/moroco_dreamsoftrespass.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuyKh-rD4CAGHbyHA5_1zm1yYJ7D2XTR4mL1I0XB6JHqyeLZLhO7RX4R-XMfRUfURFmOBI9oqqSnu5wnuwHj7WZZv4rbSqW8S8gwTOkYpiNm0CHYMT2eO1dLvBE6cLABJ6aXX8k02j5x2/s200/morocco_corruption.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpQOVIDVuLgSxkd4KYJAZ3RETNm2KzrUrYmyJEWXq1EORVbAhwYpy6hU4Jydi2OH6Bl3f9nZa60apgt0KdNHFCssVPupUaAExjN9DM8DQ4LlyUCfZhNI5UN0C_kL1zf-Ehj6gA_IBggOr/s200/moroco-leaving+tangier.jpg)
Algeria
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0bSZdVqtFwbt97H-aJoO9hieVMCVaXTPVuMKPPxDkDjgbOL5F7EXoLuPsYhCqknCwpo0pdwPM1TtPYa-ofXynBHK0htCoiChtuP-lx3q7Aq4qIiDzk5Z0NnBeHVZziAvrOtT0x2mG_MY/s200/algeria_divorce,+islamic+style.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7lWjtlKEPT6PvtkI5FsU-4EmfT7mcfgzyohW-GScERLCWIzNCYhKJjcfUsHuMpX9lKg2v3CmgDEN_MLV6G9bepJngmdvbU3IkRhLGpcgaOiePeGT2vTZfP5-1gprpstAneUtGzzB2jvL/s200/algeria_memoryintheflesh.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZbiz1de8cgR2y5KnVsHdvb-0ThotamVbqA3DMwmYi47aZk1INnXrgHQHy7KRUSRHruMSGwIbrcVaT4iMF3IBw-0jUii3G-OgLGd8LxIBhtzGSxwnhzm3gg9iqqNu2LQm2mnZmkVDNgWF/s200/algeria_chaosofthesenses.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdFN3EcqOu-Xjqp4y66pZ_RG-XLlbd3VcKJyySu3vDmgbH1Lnv1peyrP7zKQ7NuAn179sU7D5Y1qXTpNRwwtJt2jin7fKa920o6RuZa2P-yo_ij0bvrHViB2UP1p9XFxJ410buFsBB8ss/s200/khadra_wolfdreams.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitidrG5fGUDOk2gnkL3wEvbXyl6_iqq4MKWOkH-bvLZF3N4c6D7uUxsKW3tlA7DL6DlKHxWsJ9x2O_HIsv8x7U2b8B8qaOwS9s1arn1mYoIzRnl31p00smFYSjzH5O7TSl6jQWuQzK0gt6/s200/algeria_thestars.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pYfm5tJVBw0cajvpwow2PUsTCK_1Q15H3nTK9PHwpdxiBhzMvhLMj0rFjk5J_Q3R242WV_TRohGTNe_cuFudaHiFcqxHZHGRTaa3gQG3ogtO14pR-MXIonpfB0XBbc7Sr31qYWWVJ7XW/s200/algeria_nedjma.jpg)
Egypt
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGRi1qdzAIevkr3t6zaKkhd8QNQVvyW0xwo1xhhHOQ1ml-FUBBfyf8lM8g_9Adon_V033lXcvNtGu_TRag9W64hOB-wBeXuPxDJzPQyrBypWQFD9f5Pwg-HyPrjq_f6QWL0UE4KdbElSh/s200/egypt_brooklynheights.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_rYD61rZkA5JNZaxTfAu8tfoQ90VztWhsuXVggBFeEzpCnxxfVehXydZb4PI-QC83W8PkTz_vySOCocDSh4-tOzpxLThhfHzRdsLnGj6o5Sfma9muSxJm7qKb9ClPP-Uf6dl3WshlEVK/s200/egypt_ithinkofu.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiiTxbaeK2xywmn7xJLMTVMPYUkfFN5fqTXIpZRVLGHNfBxskz2A0FJCfOLmVBA-HNa91ORVYxLZJRlJyeLixNUasyon4Z8pl3oZffIy3qwRhwXb0jokKsXKvg2QmhZUWYaO5Vvwd4zgv/s200/egypt_loveinexhile.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzX3Z14QeqCxUp5LS6SJo3EH8vWn_RK89EUZbAvM6TZrSFXdI0aUS9WoiXidjhk1Q8uNSnVKldS0H7RMElo6KiPNSl014WkUna8-gRKxkbOt2CkoidnQ6_0o8u4Jv4YmlY4LIwuPw-vDv/s200/egypt_minaret.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9o80fkDuuaBe3borWEBSMB5p_-AN8P0-RGVOX1HL3wrYZOlAp-CTMINepzY40sDhXiylWMkNV55uj5fhtPUmf2w2XLSaWJFzcvmLm-E99jXyadeLaub7ky2FLr9Lkaj3ipI8CcAjmyH8v/s200/egypt_theotherplace.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV-eyyvZ3IWa58JSBAPrl2mrkBqa2Gye1sRk4cIFtO1PMY4Y_gTy6EjKICjk6LlNUPdw4vEWAgosHflmxjyi7SUkETnAG0Y6sIP2sDXIqCr6kZJrFND1CfpJAz8-bOKQEWUZvU0oeVAP3/s200/egypt_jasmine.jpg)
Libya
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYia02h-GK1TiGtpwbyRQIQRYd5Ejh8aShzGFTGV3HDyvWmkyvhUFeByt5GFcIEqcFWU7vXSVaRCnNDCKvVeunSDXj1VTRm0NIuygUEQOeX597loDfY_o1aiEYWEDxWALd2yr3EgB7MoSV/s200/libya_homelessrats.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxf8FBYLiiHvUI6LbopVT5ZjXTmqGUhhoPm6iWqfq0tgmyfbD9wkP7xUtSUrYNDYhh0CvZcNjkxsOomd9kA7nxUae57IhOYPw2Fs4gmUQxsEjb_jYFBCz_LZFxwjRXsOoPBYcMhRW1fEu/s200/libya_gardensofthenight.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9VQFYpcTGnJkI57sXTJPcya9vdPUo4LBqzs7w87215OKByTxtMMj0ShyphenhyphenzGtNU2HTQJ3OfYc-H8TxmnXR5vM4L7hZfydp9lq9lxcnDUAxuO4eFsJuzKieCXN-zRi725qgxtoCi7NiZkRx/s200/libya_thepuppet.jpg)
Morocco
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJD5_EmIJscGYY34a1I98iRmn1OtnVqs_QyLies3FuJvL4cMKKR2SVenc5ZZBw3RxSW2khK4Y7h-UbTxgtKWNHLIc0466L6ttYN9jlNVb75eLLudNES0wojj_jyXn7gFTAuujFm6PWHQc/s200/abouzeid_moroco_chapter.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNblDJ2VC3by_UCbWT9MyJ6vnfovZ4b_MXI0fvpoJm1PVksEGAl7ByqjqQWhlNZb2jbTlYcF9CFOtxV0ywycUJHwM1ZNNqHIgr8r7nVF5e4Wegqd4F3GEeaABSJUbkxQsjI5y0Zmpw7Nd/s200/abouzeid_moroco_director.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPO097uwuBcg4xpXk3dJiSnU_-IfdnA1UkskjvMlkLnaAcslnY9vfzLQt83TYQONjNiNXLwlm2A4OPVbX4gL4jBWHmsvnL7Nkvhe3Iy2VyaX3qMIw01TjYx67VWCGhGC6SE537Wwwl7NG/s200/abouzeid_moroco_elephant.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06cO0lo9XMgd8Vpy1E0nkMGDTpjwk5CA8tp4Frb3KOM8aNuq0V0q37KoelEWt6VfFEuj6SrRw5nPtzv717Jjm6axs2Wf2XFOsffjRxJSFtGXMUHOvcsmn5b4_1VtUfWXVBbgaJ9zm3aNZ/s200/moroco_hope+and+otherpursuits.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO9x93exe5f7ZOSEOBcospeYRUuU_qBX9vVQcOlBIZmFghK4hPVdbh4N196DGaPg6qpsUOt1QSbn_VlyRNiK5Kjd9hjMcn0e9IeLRSS-Q_pl4A2o6EVACkGsMuf9_lBCT46lQ_-zUqY_2/s200/moroco_secretson.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeG__toardtWpfoqqxaKePx-YzCoH_2bUIkFbf0gMnDEvrViOK4Q3FatdCN-W9wVGs0Th9Ge4HM7fz1zFCMXFRs9FgmUnAtaABei47j390ioVE_kBhkejKzzmjyzd6YKABkC2NxyKfIMY/s200/moroco_dreamsoftrespass.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuyKh-rD4CAGHbyHA5_1zm1yYJ7D2XTR4mL1I0XB6JHqyeLZLhO7RX4R-XMfRUfURFmOBI9oqqSnu5wnuwHj7WZZv4rbSqW8S8gwTOkYpiNm0CHYMT2eO1dLvBE6cLABJ6aXX8k02j5x2/s200/morocco_corruption.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpQOVIDVuLgSxkd4KYJAZ3RETNm2KzrUrYmyJEWXq1EORVbAhwYpy6hU4Jydi2OH6Bl3f9nZa60apgt0KdNHFCssVPupUaAExjN9DM8DQ4LlyUCfZhNI5UN0C_kL1zf-Ehj6gA_IBggOr/s200/moroco-leaving+tangier.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHYeiuYjJ3prK0pzhBdH5mwCiA7_0t0MhjIQwyvUrHIAkVZZCwDKmZ1L5qJFWtSNfl7m3a5cPbKYsvesekCY3p4HD3CWiziL8BkkAf1RLaND4PQ-PBhCwaijD_nUR1L_LFW_R7uuxBtd_/s200/morocoo_fugitivelight.jpg)
0 Comments