Occidentalism

Maghrebi literature published in the first half of the twentieth century is a subject that seldom receives focused scholarly treatment. This is partly due to limited availability of the books, some of which were printed in as few as fifty copies. Zahia Smail Salhi tracked down these rare works and put them in the spotlight for the first time here. Through close textual analysis and in-depth engagement with religious and socio-political contexts, Smail Salhi determines whether these texts belong to a collective formation we may call 'Occidentalism'. In so doing, this book reintegrates the pre-1945 Maghrebi novels into the history and study of modern Arabic literature.

“Ambitious and lucid, this book provides a comprehensive view of modern Algerian literature originating in the colonial period through the lens of "occidentalism." It is a valuable addition to the scholarship on the enduring, complex, and shifting relationship between colonizer and colonized in the production of literary knowledge.”

-- "Marnia Lazreg, City University of New York"
It is a first-rate book that gives a long-overdue voice to the Maghreb in its own right and not a tailpiece to the broader Middle East. [...] Prof Salhi has given us insights into Maghreb scholarship so eloquently. I cannot recommend this book too highly.--Paul Okojie, Africa International Network "Africa International Network"

Zahia Smail Salhi is Chair of Modern Arabic Studies, University of Manchester and Vice-President of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies. She served as Judge of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (2013) and the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation (2016). She was Co-Director of the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (2013-2016) and Member of Sub-panel 27 (Area Studies), Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014).

'Ambitious and lucid, this book provides a comprehensive view of modern Algerian literature originating in the colonial period through the lens of "occidentalism". It is a valuable addition to the scholarship on the enduring, complex, and shifting relationship between coloniser and colonised in the production of literary knowledge.'Marnia Lazreg, City University of New YorkExplores the encounters between East and West in Maghrebi literature in the pre-1945 periodMaghrebi literature published in the first half of the twentieth century is a subject that seldom receives focused scholarly treatment. This is partly due to limited availability of the books, some of which were printed in as few as fifty copies. Zahia Smail Salhi tracked down these rare works and put them in the spotlight for the first time here. Through close textual analysis and in-depth engagement with religious and socio-political contexts, Smail Salhi determines whether these texts belong to a collective formation we may call 'Occidentalism'. In so doing, this book reintegrates the pre-1945 Maghrebi novels into the history and study of modern Arabic literature.Key features Focuses on the work of early Algerian intelligentsia known as the Young Algerians and their insistent letters to the Occident; Depicts the Maghrebi encounter with the Occident as a plea to extend Western civilization to all factions of the colonized society; Engages with the work of early French feminists and its impact on the birth of Algerian feminism; Includes readings of key texts by Chukri Khodja, Saad ben Ali, Djamila D

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