Agent Eve(s) in Moroccan Postcolonial Literature

This monograph explores female agency in Moroccan postcolonial literature through the works of Fatima Mernissi, Leila Abouzeid, Laila Lalami, Najat El Hachmi, and Aicha Ech-Channa.

These influential writers give voice to Moroccan women’s experiences across generations, tracing their roles as literary, social, and political agents of change from the decolonization period to the Arab Spring and beyond. Writing in both French and English, these authors defy the ideological and patriarchal structures that have historically marginalized women, offering powerful narratives that reimagine identity, belonging, and resistance. From domestic spaces to diasporic journeys, their stories model feminist activism deeply rooted in Moroccan cultural and Islamic traditions. In examining the works by these five authors Fatimaezzahra Abid demonstrates how literature becomes a medium of empowerment and policy- relevant activism in contemporary Moroccan society.

This monograph will be of interest to scholars of postcolonialism, feminism, and Moroccan literature.

Fatimaezzahra Abid is a scholar of postcolonial literature, Maghrebi studies, and gender studies. Her research examines women’s literary activism and postcolonial feminism in Moroccan women’s narratives, with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices in North African and Islamic contexts. She has published on topics including postcolonial cultural narratives, women’s literature and social activism, identity politics, English language teaching (ELT) in Morocco, and translation studies.