Claudia Esposito

Literature is language: An interview with Amara Lakhous

Amara Lakhous, born and raised in Algeria, has had a significant impact on the changing landscape of contemporary Italian letters and cultural production. He is the author of three novels, all of which he has written in both Arabic and Italian. His best known work is the much‐acclaimed Scontro di civiltà per un ascensore a piazza Vittorio (2006)/Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio (2008), now translated into numerous languages, including French, German and Dutch. Lakhous draws on his position as cultural mediator to elucidate the importance of fiction in todays contentious debates over national identities. In the following interview, he speaks about his relationship to Arabic, Berber and Italian and the place these languages occupy in the conceptualization of his works. He also discusses the craft of writing, irony, politics, his views on Italy and Algeria today, and his latest novel, published in 2010.

Divorce à la musulmane à viale Marconi

relation to time. Finally, although published entirely in English, this volume represents a major contribution in bringing together contributors from Spain, the UK, France, Mexico and the United States, to break language-based silos that too often inhibit crossfertilization in this field. If not a primer to the conflict, if only due to its complexity, Global, Regional and Local Dimensions of Western Sahara’s Protracted Decolonization is a timely and important collection requisite for any scholar of the subject, and with ranging contributions that provide many points of entry for the nonexpert.

« Ce Maroc qui nous fait mal » : Entretien avec Mahi Binebine

Abstract Mahi Binebine, peintre et romancier marocain, fait partie de ces voix contemporaines qui brisent les tabous et transcendent les frontières du « nouveau » Maroc. Pourtant son œuvre, qui compte neuf romans et des centaines de tableaux, fourmille de couleurs, de sons et déobservations qui dépassent un simple cadre national. Traduit dans de nombreuses langues et exposé dans des galeries internationales sur plusieurs continents, Binebine nous laisse entrevoir son engouement pour des mondes en mouvement, mais aussi pour des paysages humains douloureux et percutants. Dans cet entretien, il parle, de façon vivace et passionnée, des lettres marocaines, déun scandale littéraire dans lequel il a été impliqué, de ses multiples métiers et de son dernier roman.