Writing Queer Identities in Morocco: Abdellah Taïa and Moroccan Committed Literature - Paperback

by Tina Dransfeldt Christensen (Author)

This book explores queer identity in Morocco through the work of author and LGBT activist Abdellah Taïa, who defied the country's anti-homosexuality laws by publicly coming out in 2006. Engaging postcolonial, queer and literary theory, Tina Dransfeldt Christensen examines Taïa's art and activism in the context of the wider debates around sexuality in Morocco.

Placing key novels such as Salvation Army and Infidels in dialogue with Moroccan writers including Driss Chraïbi and Abdelkebir Khatibi, she shows how Taïa draws upon a long tradition of politically committed art in Morocco to subvert traditional notions of heteronormativity. By giving space to silenced or otherwise marginalised voices, she shows how his writings offer a powerful critique of discourses of class, authenticity, culture and nationality in Morocco and North Africa.

Author Biography

Tina Dransfeldt Christensen holds an MA in Islamic Studies from University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and a PhD in Cultural Encounters from Roskilde University, Denmark. She is currently an external lecturer at Roskilde University. She has published in peer reviewed journals and collections including Expressions maghrébines, International Journal of Postcolonial Studies, Journal of North African Studies and Islamic Studies Journal.