Agent Eve(s) in Moroccan Postcolonial Literature

Fatimaezzahra Abid

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN: 9781040605172
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: African Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

This monograph explores female agency in Moroccan postcolonial literature through the works of Fatima Mernissi, Leila Abouzeid, Laila Lalami, Najat El Hachmi, and Aicha Ech-Channa.

These influential writers give voice to Moroccan women's experiences across generations, tracing their roles as literary, social, and political agents of change from the decolonization period to the Arab Spring and beyond. Writing in both French and English, these authors defy the ideological and patriarchal structures that have historically marginalized women, offering powerful narratives that reimagine identity, belonging, and resistance. From domestic spaces to diasporic journeys, their stories model feminist activism deeply rooted in Moroccan cultural and Islamic traditions. In examining the works by these five authors Fatimaezzahra Abid demonstrates how literature becomes a medium of empowerment and policy- relevant activism in contemporary Moroccan society.

This monograph will be of interest to scholars of postcolonialism, feminism, and Moroccan literature.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgment
• Introduction
• 1 A Historical/Theoretical Framework
• 2 Fatima Mernissi and Leila Abouzeid: Colonialism/Postcolonialism and Women’s Agency in Morocco
• 3 Laila Lalami and Najat El Hachmi: Women and Agency in Postcolonial (Diasporic) Patriarchies
• 4 Aicha Ech-Channa’s Testimonial Literature: Women’s Agency in Pre- and Post-Arab Spring Era
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index