Moroccan Author Mahi Binebine Wins 2020 Mediterranean Prize for Novel on Women’s Empowerment

For "Livres Hebdo", this novel published last year is a hymn to Moroccan femininity; a mix of sensuality and humanity through the portrait of Hayat, which recalls women often victims of prejudices because of their free morals.

Indeed, the novel tells the story of the little Hayat, born Rue du Pardon in a cruel family. Deprived of love and tenderness, she is saved by the greatest popular dancer and singer of Marrakech, Chikha Sarghinia. She will become her disciple and even surpass the diva. Envied, poisoned and bewitched, Hayat triumphs over ten years of madness and becomes in turn an adored Cheikha.

Mahi Binebine, out of respect for Hayat, refuses to reveal the name of this famous Cheikha who inspired his work. Nevertheless, informed readers think of the one who is in high demand for great weddings and other festive evenings.

The author, fascinated by the chikhates, plunges his readers into the world of these coveted, feared, or hated women for their overrated reputation as husband thieves. Note that Mahi Binebine, considered one of Morocco’s greatest contemporary artists, was distinguished in 2010 by the Arab Novel Prize for The Stars of Sidi Moumen (Flammarion, 2009), and was shortlisted for the 2019 Renaudot Prize. In addition to the main prize awarded to Mahi Binebine, the Foreign Mediterranean Prize was awarded to the Italian writer Giosuè Calaciura for Borgo Vecchio, translated by Lise Chapuis.

For the record, the Mediterranean Prize, was founded in 1984 by Fernand Braudel, Jean d’Ormesson and Hervé Bazin, and is organized by the Mediterranean Center for Literature and its partners. It fights for the enhancement of the cultural space between the different countries, in particular those of the Mediterranean; but also, for the reconstruction of the epic narrative of the founding diversities of its identity.