A world of veils and delusions. A city in ferment. A battle of empires played out in diplomatic details and back-street brutality. Marrakesh, 1906, and the unexpected arrival of a circus to perform for the Sultan seems like an opportunity for European envoy and Moroccan warlord alike, as they manoeuvre for advantage and pursue their […]
The challenges of writing a novel set in Morocco
When the perfect idea for a novel presents itself, but then you find that your source is (factually and morally) questionable, how do you approach it? By telling the story behind the stories, RJ Wilton suggests in his account of the challenges he faced in writing a novel set in early 20th-century Morocco. Sultan Abd-al-Aziz […]
The Black Crescent by Jane Johnson
1950s Morocco is full of murder, magic and divided loyalties… Hamou Badi is born in a mountain village with the magical signs of the zouhry on his hands. The zouhry is a figure of legend, capable of finding all manner of treasure. But instead of finding treasure, young Hamou finds a body. Haunted by this […]
Reinterpreting the Fall of Granada
“At length they saw the silver cross, the great standard of this crusade, elevated on the Torre de