El Habib Louai

El Habib Louai (born August 22, 1985) is a Moroccan Amazigh poet, author, academic, translator and musician. He is a university professor in the department of English and of the center for Comparative Literature at the University of Ibn Zohr where he teaches Classical and Modern Poetry, Postcolonial Theory, Modern Drama and Cultural Studies.
==Education and Honors==
El Habib Louai completed his Doctorate Degree in English Studies from Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco, between 2015 and 2021. He also holds an IELTS Teaching Certificate and a TESOL Diploma from Coventry House International in Toronto, Canada, which he obtained in 2019-2020. In the same year, he earned a TESOL Certificate Online from Arizona State University. Additionally, he was awarded the Fulbright Scholar - Joint Supervision Award during his time at Chapel Hill University from 2015 to 2017. El Habib Louai completed his MA in Comparative Literature from Ibn Zohr University, Morocco, in 2012. He also holds a Junior High School Teaching Certificate in English, specializing in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language, from the Centre Pedagogique Regional in Marrakesh, Morocco. In 2007, he obtained a BA in English Studies from Ibn Zohr University. Louai received his primary, junior secondary, and high school education in Taroudant.https://ma.linkedin.com/in/el-habib-louai-5bb06214
==Work Experience==
El Habib Louai currently serves as a Professor of English at the Department of English Studies at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir. From 2008 to 2021, he worked as a TEFL/TESL Teacher at Azzaitoun Junior High School in Tamri, Agadir. He has also served as an Editor/Translator as a member of the board for Tulips Magazine from 2013 to 2015 in Richmond, Virginia. Furthermore, he worked as a Teacher Assistant in Cultural Diversity and Critical Theory & Postmodernism at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, Morocco, from 2012 to 2014. El Habib Louai has also been working as a freelance Musician and Poet-Performer since September 2013.
==Publications==
El Habib Louai has authored several books, including "Rotten Wounds Embalmed with Tar" (2020), "America, America: A Beat Anthology in Arabic" (2019), and "Mrs. Jones Will Now Know: Poems of a Desperate Rebel" (2015). He has also translated works such as Giorgio Agamben's "What is an Apparatus and Other Essays" (2022) and Diane Di Prima's "Revolutionary Letters" (2021). Additionally, he has published papers in various journals and books, covering topics such as Moroccan Beat Writers, Assia Djebar's voicing of women's silence, and the concept of the subaltern from Gramsci to Spivak. El Habib Louai has contributed articles and translations to publications like The Markaz Review, Jadaliyya, Al Arabi Al Jadid, and Al Doha Magazine, Alquds among others.
==Grants and Awards==
El Habib Louai has received several grants and awards throughout his career. In May 2022, he was granted a full tuition grant by the British Center for Literary Translation to participate in the International Literary Translation and Creative Writing Summer School. He was also a finalist for The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry in 2020. In 2016-2017, he received the Fulbright Join PhD Supervision Grant, and in 2014, he was awarded Philip Whalen's Grant for Poets in Need. He has also received scholarships and bursaries, including the Special Scholarship for International Student Excellence from the University of Louisville in 2016. Furthermore, he has been honored with a range of other notable awards, including the Fullbright grant, a scholarship by the Institute for World Literature at Harvard University, the Chicago School of Poetics scholarship, the Aimee Grunberger scholarship by Naropa University, and a scholarship by the Woolf Institute in Cambridge, England. These accolades reflect his exceptional talent and commitment to his craft.
==Poetry Readings, Conferences & Performances==
In his pursuit of creative writing, El Habib Louai attended courses at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. During his time there, he had the opportunity to perform with acclaimed figures such as Anne Waldman and Thurston Moore. His dedication to literature and poetry led to an invitation from the Institute for World Literature at Harvard University to participate in seminars and workshops at the University of Bilgi in Istanbul, Turkey.
Alongside his passion for education and teaching, Louai actively contributes to various projects and activities related to poetry, spoken word, jazz, and literary translation. He took on the role of editor and translator for an anthology dedicated to contemporary Moroccan poetry, which has been published by Big Bridge Magazine.
These accomplishments have earned him invitations to read at esteemed venues in Europe and the USA, including Moe's Books in San Francisco, where he shared the stage with Michael Rothenberg, Terri Carrion, and Youssef Alaoui, as well as the Bowery Poetry Club with Bob Holman.
Beyond the international scence, El Habib Louai's active participation in poetry readings, conferences, and performances has allowed him to engage with the spoken word poetry community and share his work nationwide. He has showcased his talent alongside esteemed poets and professors Jonathan Skinner and Tim Atkins at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir and Ait Melloul. Furthermore, he has taken part in the National Competition for Slam Poetry at L'Uzine in Casablanca.
==Personal life==
El Habib Louai has many strings attached to his bow. His multifaceted artistic journey encompasses not only poetry and academia but also a deep passion for music, notably jazz. He has nurtured a deep passion for jazz, which has become an integral part of his creative expression.
Louai's involvement in the Amazigh Neo-Beat Band stands as a testament to his commitment to musical exploration and artistic versatility. As both a founding member and contributor to the band, he has played a significant role in blending Amazigh music, jazz, and contemporary influences, resulting in a unique and innovative sound. His musical endeavors have taken him to various venues, both nationally and internationally.https://www.ucm.es/data/cont/docs/119-2015-03-12-Neo-Beat-Band.pdf
==Selected publications==
* Books
"What is an Apparatus and Other Essays" by Giorgio Agamben, translated by El Habib Louai. Dar Alibiraliya, 2022.
"Revolutionary Letters" by Diane Di Prima, translated by El Habib Louai. Dar Alibiraliya, 2021.
"The Ancient Rain" by Bob Kaufman, translated by El Habib Louai. Dar Al Rafidain, 2020.
"America, America: A Beat Anthology in Arabic" by El Habib Louai. Arwiqa for Studies and Translation, 2019.
"Photographs and Poems at Crossways" by Hassan El Gamah, translated by El Habib Louai. Dar Affaq, 2017.
* Papers
"Moroccan Beat Writers: Mrabet, Choukri and Layachi" in "The Routledge Handbook of International Beat Literature", edited by Robert Lee. Routledge, 2018.
"Writing Back to the Empire: Assia Djebar's Voicing of Women's Silence in L'amour, la fantasia and Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement" in "International Journal of English Language, Literature in Humanities", 2017.
"Unveiling the Neo-Orientalist discourse in Azar Nafisi's Memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran and Khalid Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns" in "Xenophile: A Comparative Literature Journal", 2013.
"Retracing the Concept of the Subaltern from Gramsci to Spivak: Historical Development and New Application" in "African Journal of History and Culture", vol. 4, pp. 4-8, 2012.
* Articles and Translations
"Poetic Justice: 70+ Contemporary Poets of Morocco" published by The Markas Review, January 2022.
"Hot Maroc Satirizes Marrakesh, Moroccan Society" published by The Markas Review, July 2021.
"An Attempt at a Genealogical Study of the Short Story and Novel in Modern Amazigh Narrative" by Mohammed Akounad, Jadaliyya, November 2021.
English translation of Mohamed Oussous' "The Art of the Short Story in Tamazight in Southern Morocco: Inception, Evolution, and Expansion" published by Jadaliyya, November 2021.
Translator's notebook: an interview published by Al Arabi Al Jadid, London, UK, March 2021.
Article on Jayne Cortez published by Al Doha Magazine, March 2021.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti's obituary published by Al Quds Al Arabi, February 2021.
Article on Michael Rothenberg's "Indefinite Detention", February 2021.
Article on Diane Di Prima published by Middle East Online, October 2020.
"Michael McClure: An Article in Arabic" published by Al Quds Al Arabi, May 2020.
Article on Lawrence Ferlinghetti published by Al Faisal Magazine, September 2019.
"Joanne Kyger, an Important Voice of the Beat Feminist Poetry", August 2017.
A translation of Alice Walker's "Diary of an African Nun" published by Al Fikre Magazine, May 2017.
"Jim Harrison: The Last Interview" translated by El Habib Louai, published by Al Doha Magazine, April 2017.
Interview with Michael Rothenberg published by Al Fikre Magazine, February 2017.
"Geoffrey Hill: Saint of Poetry and Allusive Writing" published by Al Quds Al Arabi, July 2016.
An Interview with Michael Rothenberg, a Beat Poet and Founder of 100TPC, October 2016.
"Farwell Grace Ann Lee Boggs" published by Al Quds Al Arabi, October 2015.
"Sam Hamill: A Poet who stood Against War and Corruption", September 2014.
"Farewell Amiri Baraka: The Poet and the Political Activist", July 2014.
Translations into classical Arabic of poems by Amiri Baraka, Anne Waldman, Michael Rothenberg, Pica Piccolo, Dan Marlin, Bill Berkson, Laurel Ann Bogen, and Clifton Snider, 2013-2014.
"Adrian Mitchell: The Poet who Struggled for People's Freedom", November 2014.
"Neeli Cherkovski: A Poet who Combines Bukowski's Humour and Beats' Engagement", September 2014.
"Sam Hamill: Introduction to his Life and Work", September 2014.
"Happy Birthday Michael McClure", May 2013.
"100 Thousand Poets for Change: A Grassroot Movement", April 2013.
Category:1985 births
Category:Moroccan people
Category:Berber poets
Category:Authors
Category:Academics
Category:Translators
Category:Musicians