The second Marrakech African Book Festival (FLAM) attracted more than 10,000 people to Jemaâ El Fna’s Star Cultural Center from February 8 to 11 and was “a great success,” according to the event’s organizers.
The 2024 edition of this event, sponsored by the “We Art of Africa” association, saw the participation of more than 50 authors from over 20 countries on three continents, extending the festival to new linguistic horizons including Arabic, French, and English, as well as Portuguese, Creole, and Mauritian.
Among the new features of this year’s event were meetings addressing Morocco’s literary scene, including an overview of current Moroccan literary events.
Two highlights of the conference were the inaugural lecture given by Senegalese philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne and “Le grand entretien” with “the immense philosopher and witness of two centuries” Edgar Morin. Over the course of four days, 22 literary encounters were held.
Participants explored the relationship between poetry and politics, and the role of utopia as a catalyst for political action in the presence of Mozambican writer and poet Mia Couto, Angolan Portuguese-language journalist writer and publisher José Eduardo Agualusa, and Moroccan poet, writer, and translator Abdelatif Laâbi, highlighting a collective dreaming, the relevance of contemporary utopias, and the profound impact of poetry in anti-colonial struggles.
In an interview with MAP news agency Mahi Binebine, President of the FLAM, noted that African and Afro-descendant literature stands out for its “shared imagination,” highlighting Africa’s ample resources to craft its narrative and forge a brighter tomorrow through its intellect, cultural richness, and natural endowments.
The cultural identity of African women writers and the relationship between homeland and host country came front and center in a session entitled “Writing the in-between.” African women writers discussed the main themes of their latest works, as well as the influence of immigration on their careers.
This year, FLAM stepped up its initiatives aimed at young audiences, holding master classes, writing workshops and literary breakfasts in over 20 schools and universities, attended by over 3,000 students.
Writer and visual artist Mahi Binebine, journalist Fatimata Sagna, academic Hanan Essaydi and cultural entrepreneur Younès Ajarrai founded FLAM to celebrate African literature and culture, and to bring culture and art closer to citizens by offering free access to its activities to audiences of all ages.