Fez — Moroccan author and storyteller Halima Hamdane will present her novel “Touisa” at Abla Ababou Galerie in Rabat on September 17.
Scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the event is part of “Le rendez-vous du livre et de l’art” (The Book and Art Rendezvous), bringing literature into the gallery’s wider cultural program.
Published by Éditions Al Manar in October 2025, “Touisa” is a 162-page novel blending fiction, social observation, and traditional storytelling. The publisher describes the work as a meeting between written fiction and oral narrative traditions.
Stories shaped by oral tradition
“Touisa” follows five guards responsible for homes in an affluent residential neighborhood. Once a week, the men gather for an evening ritual they call “Touisa.”
For some, the meeting is a moment of sharing. For others, it becomes a space for debate, disagreement, or settling grievances. Through their conversations, Hamdane explores the lives of workers who remain essential to the households around them while occupying a different social world.
The novel continues a literary path deeply influenced by oral storytelling.
Born in Morocco, Hamdane grew up surrounded by traditional tales before dividing her professional life between teaching and literature, first in Morocco and later in France.
Her encounter with French storyteller Henri Gougaud later renewed her interest in the stories women traditionally shared during evening gatherings. Hamdane eventually left teaching to devote herself to storytelling, while continuing to publish novels and books for younger readers.
She has also previously appeared at Abla Ababou Gallery for storytelling events, including a 2022 program highlighting her relationship with Morocco’s oral heritage and her use of both French and Arabic.
The September gathering will give Rabat readers an opportunity to meet Hamdane while exploring a novel that connects contemporary social observation with Morocco’s enduring tradition of stories passed from one generation to another.
