Quick Facts
Biography
Abdallah Zrika (Arabic: عبد الله زريقة) (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.
Zrika grew up in the poor neighbourhood Ben Msik. At the age of twelve he wrote his first poems. In 1977, he published "Dance of the head and the rose". For the Moroccan youth, he represents the ideal of poetry, of freedom of living and expressing yourself. Because of censorship Zrika spent two years in jail. Six of his poems were deemed morally dangerous. In 1978, he obtained a degree in sociology. Besides a poet, Zrika is also a playwright.
Works translated from Arabic into French
- Rires de l’arbre à palabre, poésie, L’Harmattan, Paris, 1982.
- Bougies noires, La Différence, Paris, 1998.
- Petites proses, L’Escampette, Bordeaux, 1998.
- Échelles de la métaphysique, L’Escampette, Bordeaux, 2000.
- La colombe du texte, CIPM, Spectres Familiers, Marseille, 2003.
Novels in Arabic
- المراه مع فرسين (The woman with the two horses)
- مقبره السعاده (Graveyard of Happiness)
(published by Le Fennec in Casablanca)
His poems have also been published in magazins like: Esprit, Autrement, Refuge, Le croquant, Petite, and RMM.
He worked on plays with Louis Sclavis, Luigi Cinqui, writing "He is like the theater".