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Chefchaouen will host the 36th edition of the Moroccan Modern Poetry Festival from January 15 to 17.
The Association of Friends of Al-Mu’tamid is organizing this festival at the local library “Manahil Al-Irfan,” under the theme “A Poetic Residence in a United Homeland.”
This year’s festival, supported by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication – Culture Sector, in partnership with the regional authority, the urban municipality, and the local directorate of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports in Chefchaouen, alongside other institutional partners, will feature poets from various regions of Morocco, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of the kingdom.
According to a statement from the organizers, the festival will honor several poets who have made a significant impact on the national literary and media scene, including Fatima Barudi, Abdellah Jamahiri, Latifa Al-Maskini, Al-Zubair Khayyat, Jamal Amash, Mariam Atwaif, and Abdessalam Ben Tahakit, a former member of the association’s board.
The program of the festival will attract critics, poets, and artists from various backgrounds, featuring poetry evenings, a critical seminar, artistic performances, and an exhibition of Moroccan poetry collections alongside a special booth.
The cultural event aims to enable a wider audience to explore the latest developments in national poetic creativity and to celebrate poetry and poets while showcasing Chefchaouen’s rich cultural achievements that reflect its literary and artistic history.
In an effort to connect the festival with its educational environment, workshops will be held for around 20 students from various educational institutions in the area under the theme “Poetic Creativity in the Heart of School Life.” These will be led by teachers Abd Al-Ghani Arif, Al-Zubair Khayyat, and Mariam Kardoudi, with a simplified presentation on the features of Arabic poetic writing, training on composing poetry, and listening to some of the texts produced during the workshop.
Additionally, as part of a “Master Class” titled “A Poet in Our Institution,” one of the participating Moroccan poets will be invited to engage in a general discussion about poetic creativity with the students. In this context, the hosting educational institution’s library will receive some recently published poetry collections to support emerging talents and enhance the role of culture in improving educational work, enriching school life, shaping student personality, and contributing to the educational system’s advancement.
The critical seminar will be moderated by journalist and poet Said Kubrit and coincides with the 68th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Friends of Al-Mu’tamid (1958 – 2026). Notable Moroccan literary and critical figures will participate, including Najib Al-Aoufi, Abd Al-Ghani Arif, Muhammad Al-Anaz, and Ismail Alalali.
It is worth noting that the theme of this edition, “A Poetic Residence in a United Homeland,” reflects the kingdom’s ideals and the power of literature in promoting national unity by embodying shared identity with its values and history, raising awareness of national issues, and inspiring feelings of belonging and pride.
