Dar Poetry in Marrakech Celebrates the Work of Poet and Critic Abdel Latif Sekhiri at the Sixth Edition of the Poetry Salon
Dar Poetry in Marrakech is set to hold the sixth edition of the “Poetry Salon” on Saturday, March 14, at 9 PM, at its headquarters located in the Daoudiate Cultural Center in Marrakech. This cultural event will bring together poets, journalists, cultural actors, and notable figures from the literary and artistic worlds, as well as participants from youth poetry workshops.
This edition honors the experience of Moroccan poet and critic Dr. Abdel Latif Sekhiri, featuring poetry readings, artistic performances, and a special segment for signing poetry and critical works within the “Diwan” corner, which celebrates literature and connects the audience with new creative experiences.
Abdel Latif Sekhiri is recognized as a prominent voice in Moroccan poetry and criticism. Born in 1978 in Sidi Bouathmane, he earned his doctorate in 2014 from the Faculty of Arabic Language in Marrakech, with a research thesis titled “Moroccan Poetics and Eastern Poetic Heritage: Reception and Intertextuality (986 AH–1139 AH).” He currently works as a qualifying teacher at the Regional Center for Education and Training Professions and also serves as an assistant professor at the same institution.
Sekhiri has received several creative awards at both the national and Arab levels, including the 2M Literary Creativity Award in 2014 for his poetry collection “Chants of the Mirage and the Sayings of the Blind Clay Prophet,” as well as the Sharjah Award for Literary Creativity in the field of criticism (first place) at its 21st session in 2017 for his study “The Poetics of Borders: The Interplay of Poetry and Prose in Mahmoud Darwish’s Experience,” related to the Palestinian poet’s work.
His published works include significant poetry and critical publications, such as the poetry collection “Sayings of the Blind Clay Prophet” (2017), the book “The Poetics of Borders: The Interplay of Poetry and Prose in Mahmoud Darwish’s Experience,” published by the Sharjah Culture Department in 2018, as well as “Al-Mutanabbi in Marrakech: The Reception of Minister Abdel Aziz Al-Fashtali’s Diwan” (2018) and “The Poem and Shadows of Meaning: Readings in Contemporary Moroccan Poetry” from the same year. Most recently, in 2023, his poetry collection “Or Does the Echo Bloom… and Rust” was published by the Sharjah Culture Department in collaboration with Dar Poetry in Marrakech.
The “Poetry Salon” represents an open cultural space that allows the attendees of Dar Poetry in Marrakech to meet, engage in dialogue, and exchange views on poetic creativity. It serves as a platform for proposing programs and fostering direct interaction with its audience’s expectations. In its ninth cultural season, Dar Poetry in Marrakech is launching a series of new initiatives and programs to celebrate experiences in contemporary Moroccan poetry, embracing modern poetic sensibilities, and welcoming emerging poetic voices from the future.
