
Streetwise
Mohamed Choukri(Author)
Saqi Books (Publisher)
Published on 1. September 2000
Book
Paperback/Softback
165 pages
978-0-86356-045-3 (ISBN)
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".
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".
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 220 mm
Width: 140 mm
Weight
265 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-86356-045-3 (9780863560453)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Mohamed Choukri is one of North Africa's most controversial and widely read authors. This poignant autobiographical novel, which spans the 1960s and '70s (together with his previous novel, For Bread Alone), ranks among the best works of contemporary Arabic literature.Choukri died of cancer in 2003.