Abdallah Zrika
Abdallah Zrika (Arabic:) (born 1953 in Casablanca) is one of the most famous poets of Morocco. His poetry is free, based on spoken language and unrivalled in contemporary Arabic literature in its spontaneity. For the Moroccan youth of the politically and socially repressive years of the 1970s, he represented the ideal of poetry, of freedom of living and expression. Life and literary work. Zrika grew up in the poor neighbourhood of Ben M'Sick in metropolitan Casablanca. At the age of twelve, he wrote his first poems. In 1977, he published his first compilation of poems, "Dance of the  Head and the Rose". The literary magazine Words without Borders gave the following account of the book and its author: "In these so-called "years of lead" of political repression & student unrest, the book was an immediate popular success with the younger Moroccan generation — as were the many poetry readings he gave to audiences that often numbered in the thousands." In 1978, six of his poems were deemed morally dangerous and Zrika was sentenced to two years in prison. Since then, he has become one of the major voices in modern Arabic poetry. Besides poetry, Zrika also has published novels  and texts for the theatre. In live performances and readings, he has collaborated with other artists of different disciplines, such as musicians, singers, playwrights and actors, video artists, etc. Apart from his career as a poet, Zrika also holds a degree in sociology. Several of his collections of poetry have been translated into French, and some into English. Works in translations. in French: in English: His poems have also been published in French magazines, like "Esprit", "Autrement", "Refuge", "Le croquant", "Petite", and "RMM". (published by Le Fennec publishers in Casablanca)