Further Reading
Fiction
About my Mother, by Tahar Ben Jelloun. A gripping and deeply moving tribute to the writer’s mother who, while awaiting imminent death, recalls her youth spent in Fez. A subtle blend of memoir and fiction.
The Moor’s Account, by Laila Lalami. Pulitzer Prize finalist and one of the best contemporary Moroccan writers tells a gripping story of the first black explorer of America, a Moroccan slave, who lands in Florida along with Spanish conquistadores.
The Sand Child, by Tahar Ben Jelloun. A haunting novel, which radically challenged Arab traditions of gender and society and Islamic law, by Morocco’s foremost novelist.
This Blinding Absence of Light, by Tahar Ben Jelloun. An immensely powerful novel, based on the true story of a political prisoner who managed to survive incarceration in an underground prison in the Moroccan desert.
The Spider’s House, by Paul Bowles. The extraordinary story of an American expat in Fez during the period leading up to Moroccan independence in 1956.
The Sheltering Sky, by Paul Bowles. Familiar to many through the film adaptation by Bernardo Bertolucci, this is Bowles’s most famous existentialist work. Other books by Bowles set in Morocco include Without Stopping and Let it All Come Down.
For Bread Alone, by Mohammed Choukri. Harrowing autobiography of Choukri’s harsh childhood in the slums of Tangier.
Hideous Kinky, by Esther Freud. Humorous novel about a young girl’s adventures with her hippie mother in Morocco in the 1960s.
M’Hashish, by Mohammed Mrabet. A classic little book on hashish, by one of Morocco’s foremost writers.
Food and cooking
Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, by Paula Wolfert. First published in 1973, it includes mouth-watering recipes for Moroccan staples as stuffed such as pastille and numerous couscous dishes, and also serves as an excellent guide to the country’s typical flavours.
Mourad: New Moroccan, by Mourad Lahlou. Besides classic Morrocan recipes with a modern twist, this book by the Michelin-starred chef with a restaurant in San Francisco, includes memories, fantastic stories and fabulous photographies.
The Food of Morocco, by Tess Mallos. A culinary tour of Morocco and an exploration of Moroccan cooking, from briouats to tagines.
The Momo Cookbook, by Momo Mazouz. Wonderful cookbook combines poetic portraits of Morocco with 90 delicious recipes.
History
Lords of the Atlas, by Gavin Maxwell. Compelling story of the Glaoui dynasty in the last two centuries.
The Conquest of Morocco, by Douglas Porch. French adventurism and Moroccan history at the end of the 19th century.
North Africa: A History from the Mediterranean Shore to the Sahara, by Barnaby Rogerson. Definitive and readable history of North Africa – Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
Photography/art
Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakech, by Lisl and Landt Dennis. Sumptuous exploration of Morocco’s decorative and folk arts.
Morocco: A Sense of Place, by Cécile Tréal and Jean-Michel Ruiz. An evocative blend of travel writing and photography.
The Berbers of Morocco, by Alan Keohane. Impressive photographic study of the Berbers of Morocco by a longtime Morocco resident.
Travel literature
A House in Fez, by Susannah Clarke. The story of an Australian couple who buy a run-down riad in Fez to renovate. A fascinating journey into Morocco’s culture, history and religion.
Morocco: The Traveller’s Companion, by Margaret and Robin Bidwell. The classic literary guide to Morocco.
Marrakech, The Red City, by Barnaby Rogerson (ed.). Compendium of literary extracts from writers ranging from Elias Canetti to Edith Wharton.
The Last Storytellers, by Richard Hamilton. Magical collection of folktales handed down by the legendary – and fast-disappearing – storytellers of Jemaa el Fna.
Morocco That Was, by Walter Harris. Account of the end of feudal Morocco and the beginning of French rule from London Times correspondent.
A Year in Marrakesh, by Peter Mayne. An engrossing account of Mayne’s year in Marrakech.
The Caliph’s House, by Tahir Shah. Best-selling story of Shah’s move to Casablanca to restore a jinn-haunted caliph’s house in the slums of the city.
In Arabian Nights, by Tahir Shah. Tahir Shah’s fascinating account of a journey across Morocco in search of the story inside him.
Valley of the Casbahs, by Jeffrey Tayler. A delightful account of Tayler’s journey along the Drâa Valley by foot and camel.
In Morocco, by Edith Wharton. Compelling account of Wharton’s travels through Morocco at the time of the French Protectorate.
Women
Beyond the Veil, by Fatima Mernissi. Acclaimed exploration of the position of women in Islam by Morocco’s pre-eminent feminist.
Dreams of Trespass, by Fatima Mernissi. The story of Mernissi’s fascinating childhood, in a harem in Fez in the 1940s.
Stolen Lives, By Malika Oufkir. Fascinating true story by the daughter of the leader of the failed coup against Hassan II in 1971 and the price she paid for her father’s actions.