Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Featuring brand-new stories by: Fatiha Morchid, Fouad Laroui, Taha Adnan, Mohamed Zouhair, Lahcen Bakour, Mahi Binebine, Halima Zine El Abidine, Hanane Derkaoui, Allal Bourqia, My Seddik Rabbaj, Abdelkader Benali, Mohamed Nedali, Mohamed Achaari, Karima Nadir, and Yassin Adnan.
Synopsis
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct location within the geographic area of the book. Northern Africa finally enters the Noir Series arena with a finely crafted volume of dark stories, all translated from Arabic and French.
Brand-new stories by: Fatiha Morchid, Fouad Laroui, Taha Adnan, Mohamed Zouhair, Lahcen Bakour, Mahi Binebine, Halima Zine El Abidine, Hanane Derkaoui, Allal Bourqia, My Seddik Rabbaj, Abdelkader Benali, Mohamed Nedali, Mohamed Achaari, Karima Nadir, and Yassin Adnan.
From the introduction by Yassin Adnan:
Only palm trees remember that remote dark past, when highwaymen lay in wait behind their trunks for passing caravans...According to some stories, this is where the city's name originated. Over the centuries the name has lost much of its caution and blackness...Moroccans today call Marrakech "The Joyful City," or simply "The Joyful." For the city is pledged to joy. The seekers of happiness and soir es head for it. Its nights are well lit and its days are bright. The city's lovers are ready to read every type of story about it except those garbed in black. Even the city's leading authors, the storytellers of Jamaa al-Fana, have always avoided in their fascinating halqas dark tales and stories...In all their variety these stories remain rooted in the Moroccan soil. Marrakech, the ancient Moroccan city, the country's capital of tourism, the city of joy and sadness, the city of simple life, the city linked to the most international capitals through daily flights from its international airport, the city of the new European community, a winter resort for French retirees, and a refuge for immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa, the city of red nights and sex tourism, the city of the new generation of crimes...
Synopsis
"Marrakech Noir, ed. Yassin Adnan, is the third Arab city to join the Akashic Books series, following Beirut Noir and published simultaneously with Baghdad Noir."
--Bulaq (podcast)
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. North Africa finally enters the Noir Series arena with a finely crafted volume of dark stories, all translated from Arabic, French, and Dutch.
Brand-new stories by: Fouad Laroui, Allal Bourqia, Abdelkader Benali, Mohamed Zouhair, Mohamed Achaari, Hanane Derkaoui, Fatiha Morchid, Mahi Binebine, Mohamed Nedali, Halima Zine El Abidine, My Seddik Rabbaj, Yassin Adnan, Karima Nadir, Taha Adnan, and Lahcen Bakour.
From the introduction by Yassin Adnan:
Despite their variety, these stories remain rooted on Moroccan soil--allowing the contributing authors to bring readers closer to the linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic reality of Marrakech, whether Arab, Amazigh, African, or Muslim, as well as its historic Mellah--the Jewish Quarter.Here is the capital of tourism, the city of joy and sadness, the city of simple living, the city linked to international capitals through daily flights, the city of the new European community, a winter resort for French retirees, and a refuge for immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Marrakech is also known for its sex tourism and a new generation of crimes. All of these aspects of the city are reflected in these stories, no matter how sordid. The authors haven't written only stories, they have tried to write Marrakech as well. Together their stories present a comprehensive portrait of the city, its sadness, violence, tension, and darkness, without neglecting its joyful spirit.
Synopsis
"Marrakech is known as Morocco's 'joyful city, ' and as editor of the collection Yassin Adnan details in his marvelous introduction to the anthology, it was at first difficult to gather enough stories to fill this volume in a country with no tradition of noir. Luckily for readers, the joyful city had enough scandals, smugglers, and other sordid tales to inspire writers to pay homage to the complexities of their city through crime writing."
--CrimeReads
"Marrakech Noir...stands out for its sense of humour, ranging from screwball to wry...The 15 stories in Marrakech Noir are translated from Arabic, French and Dutch, and the crimes within are suited to a city where extreme wealth and poverty brush shoulders. There are women fleecing men, youths fleecing elders, guides fleecing tourists, and stories where everyone is trying to cheat everyone else...And what better way to get to know a city than to meet its criminals?"
--The National (UAE)
"Armchair travelers will relish this collective look at Marrakech through the eyes of those who know its people and culture well."
--Publishers Weekly
"As Adnan warns in his charming introduction, this is an unusually joy and humor-filled noir collection, although it also has its share of murders, accidents, abuse, and theft."
--Arab Lit, included in "6 New Summer Reads for Beach, Protest, or Plane"
"Marrakech Noir, ed. Yassin Adnan, is the third Arab city to join the Akashic Books series, following Beirut Noir and published simultaneously with Baghdad Noir."
--Bulaq (podcast)
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. North Africa finally enters the Noir Series arena with a finely crafted volume of dark stories, all translated from Arabic, French, and Dutch.
Brand-new stories by: Fouad Laroui, Allal Bourqia, Abdelkader Benali, Mohamed Zouhair, Mohamed Achaari, Hanane Derkaoui, Fatiha Morchid, Mahi Binebine, Mohamed Nedali, Halima Zine El Abidine, My Seddik Rabbaj, Yassin Adnan, Karima Nadir, Taha Adnan, and Lahcen Bakour.
From the introduction by Yassin Adnan:
Despite their variety, these stories remain rooted on Moroccan soil--allowing the contributing authors to bring readers closer to the linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic reality of Marrakech, whether Arab, Amazigh, African, or Muslim, as well as its historic Mellah--the Jewish Quarter.Here is the capital of tourism, the city of joy and sadness, the city of simple living, the city linked to international capitals through daily flights, the city of the new European community, a winter resort for French retirees, and a refuge for immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Marrakech is also known for its sex tourism and a new generation of crimes. All of these aspects of the city are reflected in these stories, no matter how sordid. The authors haven't written only stories, they have tried to write Marrakech as well. Together their stories present a comprehensive portrait of the city, its sadness, violence, tension, and darkness, without neglecting its joyful spirit.
Synopsis
"Armchair travelers will relish this collective look at Marrakech through the eyes of those who know its people and culture well." --Publishers Weekly
"Marrakech Noir . . . stands out for its sense of humour, ranging from screwball to wry . . . The 15 stories in Marrakech Noir are translated from Arabic, French and Dutch, and the crimes within are suited to a city where extreme wealth and poverty brush shoulders. There are women fleecing men, youths fleecing elders, guides fleecing tourists, and stories where everyone is trying to cheat everyone else . . . And what better way to get to know a city than to meet its criminals?" --The National (UAE)
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. North Africa finally enters the Noir Series arena with a finely crafted volume of dark stories, translated from Arabic, French, and Dutch.
Brand-new stories by: Fouad Laroui, Allal Bourqia, Abdelkader Benali, Mohamed Zouhair, Mohamed Achaari, Hanane Derkaoui, Fatiha Morchid, Mahi Binebine, Mohamed Nedali, Halima Zine El Abidine, My Seddik Rabbaj, Yassin Adnan, Karima Nadir, Taha Adnan, and Lahcen Bakour.
From the introduction by Yassin Adnan:
Despite their variety, these stories remain rooted on Moroccan soil--allowing the contributing authors to bring readers closer to the linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic reality of Marrakech, whether Arab, Amazigh, African, or Muslim, as well as its historic Mellah--the Jewish Quarter.
Here is the capital of tourism, the city of joy and sadness, the city of simple living, the city linked to international capitals through daily flights, the city of the new European community, a winter resort for French retirees, and a refuge for immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Marrakech is also known for its sex tourism and a new generation of crimes. All of these aspects of the city are reflected in these stories, no matter how sordid. The authors haven't written only stories, they have tried to write Marrakech as well. Together their stories present a comprehensive portrait of the city, its sadness, violence, tension, and darkness, without neglecting its joyful spirit.