{"title":"Mohamed Choukri","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the raw and unflinching world of Mohamed Choukri, a voice of the marginalised. Explore themes of poverty, survival, and rebellion in his semi-autobiographical works. A must-read for fans of Genet or Bukowski.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"streetwise-book-mohamed-choukri-9780863560453","title":"Streetwise","description":"Having taken the momentous decision to learn to read and write when in his early 20s, Choukri joins a children's class at the local state school in Tangier. Here, he leads a life of desperate poverty. In order to survive, he does a bit of everything. When not at school, he hangs out in cafes, drinking and smoking kif (it's cheaper than cigarettes). On the days that he has a few coins in his pocket, he can afford a primitive doss-house, otherwise he sleeps in mosques or on the street. A wide range of \"low-life\" characters befriend him - the cafe habitues (some of whom are intellectuals and educated men) help him with his Arabic and widen his horizons; the local prostitutes take him home and provide a modicum of shelter and human warmth. On two occasions, he ends up in a mental hospital - the second time because he tries to kill a man who attempts to rape him. Another traumatic event is the long-drawn-out death of his mother, at which time Choukri returns to his village. This book is the second part of an autobiography of Mohamed Choukri, one of North Africa's most respected authors. Throughout his trials and vicissitudes, two things shine through - Choukri's determination to use literacy to rise above the cruel hand fate has dealt him, and his compassion for his fellow human beings who share this life of \"the lowest of the low\". Mohamed Choukri is the author of \"For Bread Alone\".","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49524235534609,"sku":"GOR002023239","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0863560458.jpg?v=1751202270"},{"product_id":"for-bread-alone-book-mohamed-choukri-9781846590108","title":"For Bread Alone","description":"Driven by famine from their home in the Rif, Mohamed's family walks to Tangiers in search of a better life. But things are no better there. Eight of Mohamed's siblings die of malnutrition and neglect, and one is killed by Mohamed's father in a fit of rage. On moving to another province Mohamed learns how to charm and steal, and discovers the joys of drugs, sex and alcohol. Proud, insolent and afraid of no-one, Mohamed returns to Tangiers, where he is caught up in the violence of the 1952 independence riots. During a short spell in a filthy Moroccan jail, a fellow inmate kindles Mohamed's life-altering love of literature. A cult classic, For Bread Alone is an astonishing tale of human resilience and an unflinching and searing portrait of the early life of one of the Arab world's most important and widely read authors.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49525647081745,"sku":"CIN1846590108G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49607588512017,"sku":"GOR001860056","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49734284902673,"sku":"NGR9781846590108","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50111463686417,"sku":"CIN1846590108VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50881128235281,"sku":"GOR006910913","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51055221145873,"sku":"NIN9781846590108","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1846590108.jpg?v=1750803105"},{"product_id":"streetwise-book-mohamed-choukri-9781846590276","title":"Streetwise","description":"At the age of twenty Mohamed Choukri takes the momentous decision to learn to read and write, and joins a children's class at the local state school in Tangier. When not at school he hangs out in cafes, drinking and smoking kif. Some nights he sleeps in a doss-house, but mostly he sleeps in mosques or on the street. He befriends many 'lowlife' characters, while the cafe habitues help him with his Arabic and the local prostitutes take him home, providing some human solace. Choukri's determination to educate himself, and his compassion for those with whom he shares his life on the streets is heartfelt and inspirational.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49758524375313,"sku":"GOR004964378","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50335396921617,"sku":"GOR013932319","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50391824105745,"sku":"CIN1846590272G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50853886263569,"sku":"GOR003835603","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51693391970577,"sku":"NIN9781846590276","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1846590272.jpg?v=1751218039"},{"product_id":"tales-of-tangier-book-mohamed-choukri-9780300251357","title":"Tales of Tangier","description":"The complete short stories of acclaimed Moroccan author Mohamed Choukri, translated into English and collected in one volume for the first time    A World Literature Today Notable Translation of 2023    “Choukri is one of Morocco’s most revered figures. . . . To have his words translated is to have the privilege to view the inner world of his intellect and the obscured landscapes of Tangier.”—Noshin Bokth, The New Arab     Mohamed Choukri’s vivid stories invite the reader to wander the streets of Tangier, the ancient coastal crossroads between Europe and Africa, and to meet its denizens at markets, beaches, cafés, and brothels. Choukri’s Tangier is a place where newborns are for sale, swindlers hawk the Prophet’s shoes, and boys collect trash to sell for food.     Choukri says that “writing is a protest, not a parade.” And in these thirty-one stories he privileges the voices of those ignored by society: the abused, the abandoned, the addicted. The tales are at once vibrant local vignettes and profound reflections on the lives, sufferings, and hopes of Choukri’s fellow Tangerines.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50051272540433,"sku":"NGR9780300251357","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50130178277649,"sku":"CIN0300251351G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50145886667025,"sku":"GOR013349265","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51211578409233,"sku":"NIN9780300251357","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52153175310609,"sku":"CIN0300251351VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":52902717325585,"sku":"CIN0300251351LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53015028597009,"sku":"GOR014696627","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0300251351.jpg?v=1751070921"},{"product_id":"pain-nu-book-mohamed-choukri-9782020317207","title":"Le Pain Nu","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50469124407569,"sku":"GOR005153080","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50992962404625,"sku":"GOR007343494","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/2020317206.jpg?v=1751453101"},{"product_id":"faces-book-mohamed-choukri-9781647124779","title":"Faces","description":"The first English translation of one of the novels that helped change modern Arab literature  Mohamed Choukri, one of the most important writers of modern Moroccan literature, grew up in extreme poverty in Tangier and was illiterate until the age of twenty. After learning to read, he realized that \"writing could also be a way to expose, to protest against those who have stolen my childhood, my teenage-hood and a piece of my youthfulness.\" His vivid portrayals of marginalized people, which had been considered taboo, led to the censorship of his work and a cultural backlash in the Middle East.  In Faces, the third book in his trilogy of fictionalized autobiographical works, he describes gritty events, extreme poverty, prostitution, violence, sexual revelry, deprivation, and abuse. It is through his storytelling that Choukri reflects on human nature, love, and kindness–emphasizing the need for community and collaboration. Faces humanizes those undergoing poverty and places the blame for the violence they encounter squarely on colonial forces and the resulting postcolonial government, while opening literary traditions to a new style of writing.  Choukri's friendships with Tennessee Williams, Paul Bowles, Jean Genet, and other writers brought him attention in his lifetime. But Faces—his last novel, which was originally published in Arabic in 2000—has remained untranslated until now. In English for the first time, Jonas Elbousty's translation allows Choukri's work to reach wider international discussions of contemporary Arab literature.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50490499105041,"sku":"NGR9781647124779","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51044133306641,"sku":"NIN9781647124779","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52485864980753,"sku":"NLS9781647124779","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1647124778.jpg?v=1751151697"},{"product_id":"in-tangier-book-mohamed-choukri-9781846590504","title":"In Tangier","description":"Tangier, 'the most extraordinary and mysterious city in the world', in Mohamed Choukri's mind, was a haven for many Western writers in the early twentieth century. Paul Bowles, Jean Genet and Tennessee Williams all spent time there, and each was befriended in turn by Choukri. Collected here for the first time are Choukri's delightful recollections of these encounters, offering a fresh and unpretentious insight into the lives of these cult figures. The sights and sounds of seventies Tangier are brought vividly to life, as are the larger-than-life characters of these extraordinary men, through ordinary everyday events. It is a must-have for anyone with an interesting Tangier's literary life.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50596702880017,"sku":"GOR014009855","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51055246246161,"sku":"NIN9781846590504","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1846590507.jpg?v=1751412060"},{"product_id":"in-tangier-book-mohamed-choukri-9781846590610","title":"In Tangier","description":"A haven for many Western writers in the twentieth century, Tangier drew the likes of Paul Bowles, Jean Genet and Tennessee Williams. Each was befriended by Mohamed Choukri. This book offers insights into these three cult figures of twentieth-century literature.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50602898227473,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50602899538193,"sku":"GOR003422289","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52323807592721,"sku":"CIN1846590612VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52782042415377,"sku":"NIN9781846590610","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53123512631569,"sku":"GOR014756084","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1846590612.jpg?v=1751185788"},{"product_id":"for-bread-alone-book-mohamed-choukri-9780586072318","title":"For Bread Alone","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51809418576145,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51809418739985,"sku":"GOR002998042","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53585489953041,"sku":"GOR001843507","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780586072318.jpg?v=1752334272"},{"product_id":"for-bread-alone-book-mohamed-choukri-9780863561382","title":"For Bread Alone","description":"Described by Tennessee Williams as \"a true document of human desperation, shattering in its impact\", Choukri's autobiography, of which this is the first volume, speaks for an entire generation of North Africans. Born in the Rif, Choukri moved with his family to Tangiers at a time of great famine. His childhood was spent in abject poverty, and eight of his brothers and sisters died of malnutrition or neglect. During his adolescence, described here with its attendant erotic escapades, Choukri worked for a time as servant to a French family. He then returned to Tangiers, where he experienced the violence of the 1952 independent riots. At the age of 20 and still illiterate, he took the decision to learn to read and write classical Arabic - a decision which transformed his life. After mastering the language, he became a teacher and a writer, finally being awarded the chair of Arabic Literature at Ibn Batuta College in Tangiers. 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