Moroccan-Spanish Author’s Debut Novel Tackles Youth Unemployment and Tourism in Canary Islands

Meryem, "very calm and reserved," in her own words, tells in this first work the story of a girl, Meryem, daughter of immigrants, who faces the harsh reality of youth unemployment in the Canary Islands with all its beach resorts and its hyper-tourist appeal. But it is not an autobiography, she points out at the outset in an interview with Metal Magazine. "99% of Supersaurus is pure fiction... Most people don’t believe a woman can write a novel whose protagonist is a woman without it being automatically labeled as an autobiography..." she explains.

For the author, it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to pursue their dream careers. "People generally have more or less acceptable jobs that allow them to meet their basic needs. In fact, every day, there are more and more people who admit that they hate their work, but they continue to do it anyway because it’s an endless cycle and it’s impossible to get out of it," analyzes Meryem.

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"No one wants to fail, failure is something to be avoided at all costs. I’ve never been afraid of disappointing my parents, because since I was very young, they’ve taught me that my value as a human being doesn’t lie in my academic or professional merits or in material things. We all deserve dignity, respect and love. However, we live in an extremely competitive world where we have to be the best 24 hours a day. [...] Just being good is not an option, especially when you’re a woman," develops the young woman of Moroccan origin.

Meryem also addresses in her novel the youth unemployment in a "open and multicultural" Spanish society, without forgetting the hyper-tourist appeal of the Canary Islands. "There are areas where there are no health centers, no libraries, no bookstores, only shopping malls and hotels reserved for tourists..." she laments, also denouncing discrimination against women.