The Shutters

by Ahmed Bouanani, Emma Ramadan (Translator)

In this collection of prose, prose poems, and verse, The Shutters reconstructs vivid scenes of Morocco and its history, weaving and winding through antiquity, myth, and a fictional present; through cemeteries, battlefields, and sordid streets; through heaven and hell, the sky and the earth, and the shutters of his ancestor’s home. Bouanani’s poetry contains a vast inventory of references to the Second World War, the Rif War, the Spanish and French protectorates, dead soldiers, prisoners, and poets screaming in their tombs with mouths full of dirt—all of it bearing the brutal imprint of colonization, written in an imposed language with a “strange alphabet.” But what is perhaps most palpable in his writing is the violence inflicted on Morocco by its own government during the time period now referred to as les années de plomb—the years of lead. Fighting against the destruction of Moroccan cultural memory, Bouanani claws back through this forgotten landscape, plunging into the void to bring forth a heritage that was suppressed but not annihilated. In his words, “These memories retrace the seasons of a country that was quickly forgetful of its past, indifferent to its present, constantly turning its back on its future.”

Bouanani was hesitant to publish much of his work during his lifetime, leaving behind chests full of hundreds of unpublished manuscripts when he died. All nearly lost in a devastating apartment fire, Bouanani’s works are now finally appearing for the first time in English.

Genres: Poetry, Morocco, France, Africa

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick Review: I highly recommend this collection of (translated) poems. First published in Morocco during the 1980s and comprised of poems written during the 1960s and 1970s, this edition contains two of Bouanani's key collections of poems (The Shutters and Photograms). Bouanani's poetry is a pillar of strength in the maelstrom endemic to Morocco (and, more broadly, North Africa) during this time (e.g colonization, war, creeping religious fanaticism and a correlative creeping Arabization of Amazigh North Africa, etc.). Invoking memory, pre-Islamic and ancestral legends, etc. employed with an eerie, hallucinatory effect, Bouanani rails against and laments creeping fascism/authoritarianism, creeping religious fanaticism, social apathy in the face of the erasure of culture/cultural heritage. This meeting of figures from ancestral legends is a brilliantly effective way of confronting - and resurrecting - the ancient in the face of an uncertain future. Highly, highly recommended reading.

[zina · Rating 4 out of 5]

will probably have more to say about this book later but for now:

criticisms. the abstract poetry style made it difficult to digest at least at first. i read a couple poems in french to see if it’s just the language barrier but that didn’t particularly help. my colloquial french is also subpar so benefit of the doubt but either way, it wasn’t easy to get into the book but once i got used to the style, i still imagined it would read better in arabic. nik la france lol

that said, fantastical is the best word to describe this book. bouanani builds a clear image of a simple house (with shutters!) in the moroccan countryside and then transforms it into an abode for angels, monsters, and supernatural beings. themes of war, colonialism and neo-colonialism, islam, and islamic mythology paint the unique historical and sociopolitical circumstance of morocco in bursts of colorful reference that is beautiful if a little incomprehensible at times. bouanani imagines no lost love between his people and their colonizers, but makes no effort to glorify war. death is mentioned often with passion but no persuasion. the emphasis of the self, the family, the village, and blurry imagery of all that exists outside of these spheres speaks to the relation between people and politics. it reminded me of my own experiences as an algerian: how my people experience the world from within our shuttered houses. i also particularly enjoyed the mythological references, it reminded me of my childhood very much. again i’ll probably think of more things to say later but ahmed bouanani is definitely a poet of interest for me now :)

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following up on Bouanani's great novella, The Hospital (also translated from the French by Ramadan from New Directions), I read his poetry collection THE SHUTTERS for Day 16 of The Sealey Challenge.

This is an assemblage of poetry from Bouanani's writing career with themes of his childhood in colonial Morocco, post-colonial vignettes and prose poems, with some love poetry mixed in.

[Dolf van der Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic prose and prosaic poetry find their places in this bundle of poetry by Bouanani. He was a filmmaker and writer, but most of his work is hard to find, which is a shame. I read The Hospital before and this is more or less the only other work that can be found. Highly recommended.

[Peter Wassam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lilting and enchanting translation. Deeply sad and wistful. My only knock is it probably sounds so much better in Arabic.

[غبار · Rating 3 out of 5]

"My coffin awaits me somewhere at the horizon
I want it to be made of sandalwood and dreams
pinned down like butterflies at the oration
of an adolescence of a brief eternity
May my skeleton blossom with the seasons
may my blood flow freely euphoric
up to the very heart of your solid houses
to the shelter of love to devour your Eves
wreathed in incurable religions"

—1400, p117