b. 1942
Biography
Moroccan poet, writer, and translator, Abdellatif Laâbi cofounded in 1966 the journal Souffles, which considerably influenced the cultural world of North Africa. Politically engaged, Laâbi was arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for over eight years. When he went into exile in France in 1985, Laâbi developed a writing style marked by great humanity and devotion to the struggle for justice and freedom. Laâbi conceives of poetry as the ultimate weapon to express dignity and bear witness. He received the Prix Goncourt de la Poésie in 2009 and the Grand prix de la francophonie de l’Académie française in 2011.