The International Publishing and Book Fair in Rabat (SIEL 2026) hosted a panel at ‘Salle Charif Al Idrissi’ titled “African Anglophone Literature: The New Moroccan Trend.” During the session, Moroccan writers and academics discussed the growing wave of English-language literature emerging from the Kingdom.

The discussion featured several prominent Moroccan figures, including Khalid Bekkaoui, a professor of English and Cultural Studies; Mhani Alaoui, a writer and anthropologist; and Racha Belkoda, a multilingual poet and engineer. Hafsa Bekri-Lamrani, a Moroccan poet and author, moderated the session.

The panel explored Morocco’s literary landscape through the eyes of writers and poets who have chosen English as their creative medium. While Morocco is historically characterized by its use of Arabic, Amazigh, and French, English has become increasingly popular among the younger generation, many of whom now adopt it as their primary second language.

Khalid Bekkaoui noted that “Moroccans are very gifted in languages; English is a gift for Moroccans, and they are using all of it,” while Mhani Alaoui added that “Anglophone literature has something that speaks to Moroccans.”

Although there is a noticeable shift toward English among today’s youth, the speakers emphasized that English is unlikely to replace French entirely. Instead, it is viewed as a cultural addition. Hafsa Bekri-Lamrani explained: “We are not replacing anything; we are adding to our culture because Moroccans have always been open.”

While English is often viewed as a modern trend, the panel revealed that Moroccan engagement with the language can be traced back to the 18th and 19th centuries. A notable example mentioned was Sidi 'Ali Harazim Barada, a prominent Sufi scholar and close companion of Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani, the founder of the Tijaniyya Sufi order, highlighting that the Moroccan-English connection is far older than the current digital age suggests.