Asilah paid a warm tribute on Tuesday to one of the great names in Moroccan literature. As part of the 47th International Cultural Moussem, the city honoured novelist Moubarak Rabii, who is also recognised as a pioneer of social psychology teaching at Moroccan universities.
The ceremony, held under the Khaimatu Al Ibdae creativity tent, featured the presentation of a collective book tracing his literary and academic career. For more than five decades, his work has examined the relationship between the individual and society, with constant attention to social, cultural and educational issues.
Hatim Betioui, secretary general of the Asilah Forum Foundation, presented him with the Palm of Creativity and Excellence. He paid tribute to an author who has remained a loyal supporter of the Moussem since its beginnings in the late 1970s. The writer recalled that he had already been honoured in Asilah with the Mohammed Zafzaf Prize for the Arabic Novel and described the new book as a valuable reference for studying his work.
Critics at the event highlighted the reach of his writing. For academic Zohor Gourram, his fictional world, which began in 1972 with “The Good People” and continued until 2024 with “Distances of Love”, leaves ample room for imagination and marks an important stage in the exploration of human psychology. Abdelfattah Lahjomri sees him as one of those writers who change how readers view human beings and turn storytelling into a memory that resists oblivion.
Born in 1940 near Casablanca, Moubarak Rabii has written novels, essays and short stories, including “Mountain Chronicle”, “From East to West” and the “Derb Sultan” trilogy.
The Moussem opened on 2 October and runs until 18 October. It is organised by the Asilah Forum Foundation under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the Asilah municipal council.