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Driss Chraïbi (July 15, 1926 – April 1, 2007) was a Moroccan author whose novels deal with
colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colony, colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose the ...
, culture clashes, generational conflict and the treatment of women and are often perceived as semi-autobiographical. Born in
El Jadida El Jadida (, ; originally known in Berber as Maziɣen or Mazighen; known in Portuguese as Mazagão) is a major port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 96 km south of the city of Casablanca, in the province of El Jadida and the ...
and educated in Casablanca, Chraïbi went to Paris in 1945 to study chemistry before turning to literature and
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...
.


Life

Driss Chraïbi was born to a merchant family in French Morocco but was later raised in Casablanca. He attended the Koranic school before joining the M'hammed Guessous School in Rabat, followed by the Lycée Lyautey in Casablanca. In 1945 he went to university in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, where, in 1950, he earned a degree in
chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
. After obtaining his degree, he abandoned science before the doctorate. Instead, he earned his living from a string of odd jobs, before turning to literature and
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...
. He produced programmes for
France Culture France Culture is a French public radio channel and part of Radio France Radio France is the French national public radio broadcaster. Stations Radio France offers seven national networks: * France Inter — Radio France's " generalist" sta ...
, frequented poets, taught Maghrebian literature at Laval University in
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
and devoted himself to writing. In 1955, he married Catherine Birckel, with whom he had five children. In 1978, he remarried with Sheena McCallion, a Scotswoman, with whom he also had five children. He became known through his first two novels, ''Le passé simple'' (1954), whose depiction of a young man's revolt against traditional society generated controversy in Morocco during its struggle for independence, and its counterpoint ''Les boucs'' (1955) a ferocious attack on the treatment of North African immigrants in France. A page turns with the death of his father in 1957. The writer, in exile in France, went beyond the revolt against his father and established a new dialogue with him beyond the grave in ''Succession ouverte'' ( 1962), translated as ''Heirs to the Past''. Ten years later, ''La Civilisation, ma Mère!...'' (1972) gave a more lighthearted, fictionalised account of a Moroccan father's changing relationship with his wife and, more broadly, questioned the place of women in Moroccan society, offering renewed hope through the mother's evolution. He died in
Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
, France., where he had lived since 1988, and was buried in the
Shuhada ''Shaheed'' ( ,  ,   ; pa, ਸ਼ਹੀਦ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); ...
Cemetery, Casablanca, Morocco, near his father's grave, thus fulfilling his last wishes. He took with him to the hereafter the secret of the last book he was working on.


Awards

He was awarded the Prix de l’Afrique Méditerranéenne in 1973, the Franco-Arab Friendship Award in 1981. and the Mondello prize for the translation of ''Naissance à l'aube'' in Italy. Ref : https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2007/04/04/driss-chraibi-ecrivain-marocain_891743_3382.html


Works

His
first novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...
, ''Le passé simple'' was published in 1954. Its English translation by Hugh Harter '' The Simple Past'', was reissued in 2020 by NYRB Classics, with an introduction by Adam Shatz. Other works by Driss Chraïbi: *''The Butts'' (1955) - ''Les Boucs'' (1955; ''The Butts''), translated by Hugh A. Harter, shifted the author’s accusatory finger from a paternalistic Islamic formalism to the oppressed condition of many North Africans living in France. *''From All Horizons'' (1958). Title in French : ''De tous les horizons''. *''The Donkey'' (1956) ''L'âne'', and ''The Crowd'' (1961) ''La Foule''; both confront the inadequacies of the newly independent
Third World countries The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " Firs ...
, as well as the failings of European civilization. *''Heirs to the Past'' (1962) Original title: ''Succession ouverte''. The English translation by Len Ortzen was published by Heinemann in 1972. *''A Friend Is Coming to See You'' (1967). The weaknesses of Western values appear most noticeably in ''Un Ami viendra vous voir'' (1967; “”), in which Chraïbi combines the themes of insanity, violence, and the oppression of women. *''Mother Comes of Age'' (1972). Original title in French : ''La Civilisation, ma Mère!...''. Translated into English by Hugh Harter. *''Mort au Canada'' (1975). "Death in Canada" *''Flutes of Death'' (1981) Original title : ''Une enquête au pays''. English translation by Robin Roosevelt *''Mother Spring'' (1982) Original title ''La Mère du Printemps''. English translation by Hugh Harter. *''Birth at Dawn'' (1986) Original title ''Naissance à l'aube''. English translation by Ann Woollcombe. *''Inspector Ali'' (1991) Original title ''L'inspecteur Ali''. English translation by Lara McGlashan. *''Une place au soleil'' (1993) "A Place in the Sun" *''L'Homme du Livre'' (1994). Translated into English under the title of ''Muhammad, a novel'' by Nadia Benabid, published by Lynne Rienner. *''L'inspecteur Ali à Trinity College'' (1996). "Inspector Ali at Trinity College" *''L'inspecteur Ali et la C.I.A'' (1997) "Inspector Ali and the CIA" *''Vu, lu, entendu'' (1998). Memoir, 1st volume. "Seen, read, heard" *''Le monde à côté'' (2001). Memoir, 2nd volume. "The world next door" *''L'homme qui venait du passé'' (2004). "The Man who came from the past" Chraïbi also wrote several children's books.


Death

He died in southeastern
Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in April 1, 2007 and was buried in Casablanca.


References


External links


Driss Chraibi
@ bibliomonde.com
Moroccan-French novelist Driss Chraibi dies
April 2, 2007, ''CBC Arts''
Audio Book (mp3):
Incipit of 'Les Boucs' (Butts)


Driss Chraibi biography
@ britannica.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Chraibi, Driss 1926 births People from El Jadida 2007 deaths Moroccan children's writers Moroccan writers in French 20th-century Moroccan writers 21st-century Moroccan writers Université Laval faculty Moroccan novelists 20th-century novelists 21st-century novelists Male novelists 20th-century male writers 21st-century male writers Moroccan expatriates in France Controversies in Morocco