Abellatif Laabi

Abellatif Laabi (b 1942) is a Moroccan writer, journalist, poet, and playwright. He founded literary review Souffles in 1966. He is a major force in Maghrebi literature. His works focuses on chaos and rebirth. He is also a cultural activist.

Wisdom & Quotes

• One could almost say that man gave birth to man in order to destroy himself.

- translator

• In ourselves we harbour the intuition of another evolution, of other possibilities of life.

But understand that I want to remain alone, truly alone, so I can precede my face, my voice, my hell without anyone telling me which is the best path, without anyone laughing at the giant's wings and the dwarf's legs that impede my gait. My voice is the only material thing in which I can still reveal myself. Go ahead and cut off the hand or the testicles of a voice.

Try to find the head of a voice, the orifice through which it passes, or even the breasts to which you can attach the clips of your electrodes. Nothing. Resonant tooth.

Dai Jian