RIP: Abdesslam Chraibi

Sad news this morning: Moroccan playwright Abdesslam Chraibi has passed on:

He started his career in theatre as an actor and playwright in the 60s in his native city, Marrakech, with the troupe Al Wifak and then with the national groupe Al Maamoura.

He later co-founded the troupe Al Wafaa al Marrakshia with other emblematic figures of the Moroccan theatre like Abdeljabbar Lawzir and Mohammed Belkas.

As a playwright, Chraibi is known for his successful plays “Al Harraz”, “Sidi Keddour El Alami”, and “Meksour Ljanah”, which discussed issues related to the Moroccan society, traditions, and culture.

The artist also wrote scripts for television, including the outstanding serial “Inssane fil Mizane”.

He collaborated with many theatre leaders, such as Tayeb Seddiki, and worked in Casablanca’s municipal theatre.

He will be missed.

Who is Laila Lalami

Laila Lalami is the award winning and best selling author of six books.

What books has Laila Lalami written?

Laila has written the novels, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Secret Son, The Moor's Account, The Other Americans, and The Dream Hotel.

What awards has Laila Lalami won?

Laila Lalami has won the American Book Award, the Arab American Book Award, the Hurston-Write Legacy Award, a Guggenheim a Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship, and a British Council Fellowship. Her work has also been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Booker Prize, the Women's Prize, and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.