'For Bread Alone' by Mohamed Choukri Has Not Lost its Charm

Arabia cover of "For Bread Alone" by Mohammad Choukri
Arabia cover of "For Bread Alone" by Mohammad Choukri
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'For Bread Alone' by Mohamed Choukri Has Not Lost its Charm

Arabia cover of "For Bread Alone" by Mohammad Choukri
Arabia cover of "For Bread Alone" by Mohammad Choukri

El-Fanak Press, Casablanca, has released again the masterpiece of Mohamed Choukri "For Bread Alone" one of the writer's most popular and controversial novels as part of a book series adopted by the publishing house to provide books for all people.

"For Bread Alone" has once again proved its position as one of the most creative Moroccan novels in the Arab region and worldwide, especially after the record numbers it hit in terms of sales and languages it has been translated to, not to mention the myriads critical readings and the huge impact it left in the Arabic cultural scene. The novel gained international fame and was translated to 39 languages including English by Paul Bowles in 1973 and French by Taher bin Jelloun in 1981.

The novel was written in 1972 but wasn't published in Arabic until 1982. It makes part of the Tangier novelist's biography, along with the "Time of Mistakes," and "Faces."

Choukri was encouraged to write the "The Bread alone" by US writer Paul Bowles who lived in Tangier at the time. The novel was translated into French by Taher bin Jelloun. When released for the first time, it made a significant echo. Some Arab countries even banned it because of its unfamiliar boldness.

The French version of the novel took the same title, but the English translation was entitled "For Bread Only."

Critics have agreed that Choukri's novel "depicts the misery and marginalization that dominated large categories of the Moroccan society in the middle of the past century."

Late Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo said Choukri "looked at his country's situation from the bottom, and he saw what rulers cannot see."

Arab writers said "the novel was a slap on the face and succeeded where many other writers failed. He managed to become both the hero and the writer of his writings."

For his part, Choukri said: "I aimed not to beautify the ugliness, in my life and the life of others. I wanted to highlight the distortion of the community."



UAE Heritage Conference Recommends Documentation of Travel Literature

The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM
The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM
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UAE Heritage Conference Recommends Documentation of Travel Literature

The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM
The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM

The "Second Heritage Conference," organized by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage has issued several scientific and cultural recommendations to enhance studies on travel literature and representations of the "other" in popular heritage.

The conference held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others" took place at the Arab Heritage Center in the university city of Sharjah, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Saturday.

Participants urged a reevaluation of the writings of travelers and Orientalists using contemporary scientific criticism methodologies, WAM said.

They advocated for analytical comparisons between groups of travelers from various geographical regions and similar time periods to derive a more realistic portrayal and compare it with available local studies, it added.

According to WAM, the attendees stressed the need to establish practical laboratories for translating Western research and studies on travel literature and forming scientific committees to review untranslated travel accounts, particularly Russian works.

Among the recommendations was the proposal to extend the conference from two to three days and to publish the presented research in a scientific book.

They also suggested creating an online library featuring works of travelers and Orientalists, along with a specialized database for researchers and translators in this field.

The recommendations further called for stimulating critical studies addressing representations of the "other" in popular heritage through various approaches, including anthropology, semiotics, narratives, and post-colonial studies.

Additionally, they highlighted the need to examine the interaction between oral and narrative cultures as described by travelers, questioning the ideological and epistemological backgrounds that shaped their representations and deconstructing the positions of self and other in their writings.

"The recommendations from the Second Heritage Conference embody our vision at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, which aims to establish awareness of the importance of reading popular heritage from multiple perspectives, especially through the writings of travelers and Orientalists,” said Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam.

“Through this conference, we sought to initiate a critical intellectual dialogue with these records, opening new horizons for understanding the self and the other, and enhancing the presence of our heritage in the global cultural sphere with a scientific spirit and objective approach,” he added.