Title: Experimental nations, or, The invention of the Maghreb
First published: 2003
Description: Jean-Paul Sartre's famous question, "For whom do we write?" strikes close to home for francophone writers from the Maghreb. Do these writers address their compatriots, many of whom are illiterate or read no French, or a broader audience beyond Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia? In Experimental Nations, Reda Bensmaia argues powerfully against the tendency to view their works not as literary creations worth considering for their innovative style or language but as "ethnographic" texts and to appraise them only against the "French literary canon." He casts fresh light on the original literary strateg.
Subjects: North African literature (French), History and criticism, African literature (french), African literature, history and criticism
LC classification: PQ3988.5.N6 B46613  2003