Rachida Dati: The Literary Strength of Morocco Will Shine at the Paris Book Festival

By honoring Morocco, the Paris Book Festival (April 11-13) celebrates « the strength » and « vivacity »of its literary and editorial scene, stated, on Wednesday evening, the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, on the eve of the official inauguration of this major literary event at the Grand Palais in the French capital.

« Tomorrow, we will celebrate the strength, notably the vivacity of the Moroccan literary and editorial scene », Dati emphasized while speaking alongside the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, during a reception held in honor of the Kingdom.

The reception, which took place in the presence of the Moroccan Ambassador to France, Samira Sitail, brought together cultural figures from both countries in the prestigious salons of the French Ministry of Culture. These figures have distinguished themselves in various creative fields, including authors, publishers, intellectuals, actors, musicians, and other Moroccan and French personalities.

«This reception is held under the sign of cultural friendship that unites France and the Kingdom of Morocco… And tonight, I wish to extend the invitation to all those, across all cultural sectors and generations, who daily bring to life the cultural relationship between our two countries »,Dati declared to these «daily actors of the extraordinary vitality of creation that animates Morocco and the thirst for culture that unites our two countries ».

The French minister praised Morocco’s commitment to this sector, strengthened by the unwavering attention and support of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to cultural issues. She recalled that last October, His Majesty the King and French President Emmanuel Macron decided to «write together a new book of our shared history ».

«This commitment has been placed under the sign of an exceptional partnership », Dati noted, highlighting that this exception is «largely reinforced today », rejoicing that culture is «at the heart of this historic moment ».

As evidence, she mentioned the cultural roadmap signed on this occasion, citing among the clearly identified priorities the cultural and creative industries, “the book obviously,” as well as libraries, Francophonie, artificial intelligence, heritage, museums, and exchanges between artists and cultural professionals.

Driven by the same enthusiasm to strengthen «our ties and build together the community », the minister believes that this exceptional cultural relationship also allows «the emergence of a new cultural scene, a bridge scene, the Franco-Moroccan cultural scene ».

She cites among its assets «youth » with immense aspirations. «It is to them that we wish to address ourselves in priority, as a sign of confidence in the future and to highlight the immense talent of the new generation », the minister affirmed, inviting for the occasion the young Moroccan pianist Nour Ayadi, based in Paris, to perform before the guests.

Saying she is « proud » of her Moroccan roots, Dati perceives immigration as «an extraordinary opportunity for France, but also for Morocco », specifying that next year will be marked by the launch in May of the Mediterranean Season organized by the French Institute, an event for which she calls on Moroccan cultural actors to participate in large numbers, all the more so since «Morocco will be one of the major countries » for building this project.

And she concludes, «Our ambition is great, simply to the measure of the ties between our two countries ».

For his part, Bensaid welcomed the initiative of the Paris Book Festival to honor Morocco, an event that celebrates both the book and Franco-Moroccan friendship and embodies «the unbreakable bond » based on «the community of languages but also on the sharing of differences and the dialogue of memories ».

In this regard, the minister considers that in a turbulent world, Franco-Moroccan friendship is more than a model; it is the embodiment of another possible future: «between the two shores of the Mediterranean, to say that memory and the past should not divide but unite; between Europe and Africa, to show that demographic and migratory issues can be transformed into opportunities for investment in what we hold most dear, culture and youth; and also for the rest of the world, to show how differences in languages, beliefs, and memorial narratives can become an occasion for creation rather than conflict ».

Bensaid seized this opportunity to highlight Morocco’s efforts, under the aegis of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which have chosen culture as the foundation of emergence.

« For twenty-five years now, our country has embarked on a demanding path, that of growth in sustainability, economic development in social inclusion, democratization within the framework of institutional consolidation and the expansion of participation at all levels, local, regional, and national », he said, ensuring that in this Moroccan model of emergence, culture is the key: «a factor of social inclusion and consolidation of collective bonds, a vector of economic growth through cultural and creative industries, and a living hub of public debate and citizen participation ».

Noting that France associates itself with this vision through its willingness to « write a book in common »with Morocco, the minister concludes that this Franco-Moroccan friendship «is therefore a vision proposed to our two continents, the possibility of another narrative, another imaginary configuration, which is passionate but serene, rooted in the past but without resentment, and resolutely engaged in a future of friendship and culture ».