HENAN HARIT

Morocco- The number of female authors in Morocco has increased in recent years. In the nineties and eighties, there were no more than a handful of female authors in the country but today many people admit that feminist authors make an important contribution to the Moroccan culture.

Fawzia Al-Konsoussi becomes an author at the age of 71. In 1973, she began to work as a teacher and she was appointed as a supervisor of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. A few years after her retirement, she wrote and published her first book, “Women of Marrakech… Traditional and Living Arts in City” as a return to the memory of women and their role in building life. We spoke to Fawzia Al-Konsoussi about her book.

Could you introduce yourself? Why did you begin to write after 70?

I am from Morocco. I was born in Marrakech in 1949. I worked as a teacher for years. I retired ten years ago. I liked writing stories and novels when I was a child. I had to stop writing due to some personal reasons. I wanted to realize my dream after my retirement.

I worked on my book “Women of Marrakech… Traditional and Living Arts in City” for years. It is time to write for me. This is the beginning, not the end for me.

The reason why I wrote my book so late is that I believe that I can offer something to people. When people have an opportunity and believe in themselves, they can use what they collect throughout their lives to write. I wanted to write a book about the women of Marrakech after my retirement. I have lived in El-Qusour since my childhood and I grew up among old women, who were scholars, teachers, and professionals at cooking, sewing, and decorative arts. I wrote what I saw in my life.

Why did you choose to write about the women of Marrakech?

I chose to write about the women of Marrakesh because I know them, their traditions, and the art of living. Women constitute more than half of the world population but their role is rarely discussed. For this reason, my book is about the memory of women and their role in building life.

Do you have any message for women of Marrakech in your book?

As I mentioned before, my book is a return to the memory of women. The city of Marrakech was founded by order of Zaynab an-Nafzāwiyyah. For this reason, I wanted to give information to young people about the social and spiritual roles of women. Society cannot develop without knowing its roots and human characteristics.

What challenges Moroccan culture has faced during the pandemic?

Culture in Morocco is developing day by day. However, it has faced many difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic. The cultural sector has been affected by the pandemic. People had to work from their homes. My book was published during the pandemic. I hope we will overcome these difficult conditions soon and have a normal life as before.

What can you say about the situation of female authors and feminist literature in Morocco?

In Morocco, women's experiences in many fields such as writing and poetry developed rapidly. Women began to write when freedom was about to die in Morocco. Now, there are many female authors in Morocco.

Do you have any message for women?

They should wear consciousness and morality. They should follow the true path.