Maghreb Literatures as World Literature

Call for Papers deadline: 23 March 2026

Conference date: 9 June 2026, Centre Jacques Berque, Rabat (Morocco)

This colloquium is the second meeting of a project led by Tristan Leperlier (CNRS, Paris) and Mohamed-Salah Omri (Oxford) which aims to publish a volume in Bloomsbury series Literatures as World Literature. In addition to the English version, French and Arabic versions are being considered. The first meeting was held at the MESA conference in DC in November 2025. The project explores “Maghreb literature” (excluding Egypt) from transnational and plurilingual perspectives, encompassing all literary languages used in the region - oral or written - including Arabic, Tamazight (and their dialects), French and diaspora languages. The period privileged for analysis is the 19th-21st centuries.

The first set of questions addresses the very existence of a “Maghreb” literature. Such existence should not be taken for granted. The Maghreb has been conceived very differently depending on the languages, the times, and the political projects (al-Maghrib al-ʿArabi, Afrique du Nord in colonial French, Tamazgha...) while integration along nation-state line has been the main process in the region in the XXth century. To what extent this regional label has been used, to what purpose, and with what success? How does it relate to other identifications (the national identification, but also Mediterranean, African...)? To what extent can we locate practices or circulation which can be deemed regional? Historical analyses of literary influences and/or networks—journals, festivals of oral poetry, associations, university curricula which connect or transcend borders, whether within the region or via third countries, are encouraged.

The second set examines the positioning of literatures from the Maghreb, often considered peripheral, within their linguistic areas. Many writers publish abroad, particularly in Paris (for French) and Beirut (elsewhere too, for Arabic), gaining international recognition but sometimes facing accusations of disconnection at home and of catering to a foreign readership. Beyond those languages, is a unified Tamazight literature emerging across nation-state borders? Conversely, how are first or second-generation diasporic writers using languages like Dutch, Catalan, or English, in relation to the national canons in the Maghreb?

The third set of interrogations focuses on the translation of the diverse Maghreb literatures within the region’s languages and into foreign languages. What are the actors, institutions and literary policies driving these circulations? In addition to self-translated authors, examples include Cold War Communist networks, Pakistani publishers, or feminist Dutch translators... How are they received in new contexts of publication, what is their visibility, recognition?

The final point examines Maghrebi uses of the “foreign,” whether connected or not to (former) colonial centers. What are the forms of appropriation (and rejection) of foreign literary discourses and practices? This includes the issue of the so-called “modernity” of certain literary genres and styles, as well as the introduction of international legal and professional norms (copyright, the role of UNESCO or international publishers’ associations, etc.). Finally, what types of tensions exist with literary representations (Camus, Bowles...) and, more broadly, with forms of knowledge (for instance, academic) produced by “foreigners” about the Maghreb?

Case studies are welcome, but contributions offering socio-historical or comparative perspectives are preferred, especially those which explore the interplay between writers/ stakeholders and book circulations (regional, South-South, or South-North), literary recognition, or processes of nation building. Each contribution should aim to address in some way the unifying argument of the book and/or address one or more of the specific axes mentioned above. We encourage contributors to visit the Bloomsbury series website for overview and valuable examples of similar publications. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/series/literatures-as-world-literature/ 

How to submit proposal

Please send 300 words abstract and bio to [email protected] and [email protected] by 23 March 2026.