The Rule Of Barbarism

(Paperback)

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Finally available in English, Le R gne de la barbarie by Abdellatif La bi is one of the most daring poetic visions of the second half of the twentieth century. First published in 1976 when Laabi was serving an eight-year prison sentence (1972-1980) for 'crimes of opinion' against the Moroccan State, The Rule of Barbarism is a devastating flight through consciousness, acquainting the reader with the trials of a society caught between a colonial past and the tragic realities of a brutal dictatorship. Analysing the presence of 'barbarism' inherent in all of us, and yet deepening our capacity for compassion despite the allure of revenge, this stunning debut from a writer on the threshold of a groundbreaking career can be read as an epic of love, empathy, anger and despair-and is as resonant today as when composed nearly fifty years ago.

Reviews

Deftly rendered into English by Andr Naffis-Sahely these poems reward repeated readings. World Literature Today

Author Bio

Poet, novelist, playwright, translator, and political activist, Abdellatif La bi was born in Fez, Morocco in 1942. He was also the founder ofSouffles, an important literary review that was banned in Morocco in 1972. La bi received the Prix Robert Ganzo de Poesie in 2008, the Prix Goncourt de la Poesie for hisOeuvres compl tesin 2009, and the Academie Fran aise's Grand Prix de la Francophonie in 2011. Also available in English are his debut collection of poetry The Rule of Barbarism, the memoir Rue de Retour, and The World's Embrace- Selected Poems. Andre Naffis-Sahely's translations include La bi's The Rule of Barbarism (Pirogue Poets Series), and Rachid Boujedra's The Barbary Figs and The Funerals (Arabia Books). His translation of mile Zola's L'argent is forthcoming from Penguin Classics. He lives in London.