Tahar Ben Jelloun

Tahar Ben Jelloun (Arabic: طاهر بنجلون) (born in Fes, Morocco, December 1, 1944) is a Moroccan poet and writer. Professor at Tetouan and then in Casablanca. He has lived and worked in France since 1971.

Ben Jelloun studied philosophy in Rabat and psychology in Paris.

He attends to lectures in social psychology and works as psychotherapist. He writes in French although his first language is Arabic. He writes for diverse reviews and in particular for Le Monde. His novel "La Nuit Sacrée" won the Prix Goncourt in 1987. In 2004 he was awarded the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for "This Blinding Absence of Light" (translated from the French by Linda Coverdale).

In September 2006, Tahar Ben Jelloun was awarded a special prize for "peace and friendship between people" at Lazio between Europe and the Mediterranean Festival. [cite web | title=Italy Lazio cultural festival awards Moroccan author | publisher = Morocco Times.com | url=http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=49&id=17204 | format = | accessdate=2006-09-25]

Ben Jelloun is married and father of 4 children.

List of works

* "Solitaire" (1976)
* "The Sand Child" (1985)
* "The Sacred Night" (1987)
* "Silent Day in Tangiers" (1990)
* "With Downcast Eyes" (1991)
* "Corruption" (1995)
* "The Fruits of Hard Work" (1996)
* "Praise of Friendship" (1996)
* "Racism Explained to My Daughter" (1998)
* "Islam Explained" (2002)
* "This Blinding Absence of Light" (2003)Also "L'auberge des pauvres" (?)

External links

* [http://www.taharbenjelloun.org/chroniques.php?menu
]
* [http://maduba.free.fr/Enfant_sable.htm - "Le jeu et l'événement dans l'Enfant de sable et la Nuit sacrée de Tahar Ben Jelloun", Par Salah NATIJ, in website Ma'duba / Invitation à l'adab]
* [http://maduba.free.fr/dialogue_complaisance.pdf - "Dialogue interculturel et complaisance esthétique dans l'oeuvre de Tahar Ben Jelloun", Par Salah NATIJ, in website Ma'duba / Invitation à l'adab] Le Premier Amour est Toujours le Dernier moha le fou, moha le sage

References and notes