Exploring the Linguistic Diversity of Moroccan Publishing

Saturday 11 May 2024 - 12:40

A recent comprehensive report by the King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation in Casablanca offers fascinating insights into the state of publishing and writing in Morocco. The report meticulously examined literary output across various fields, including literature, humanities, and social sciences, spanning the period from 2022 to 2023. During this timeframe, a staggering 3,482 titles were published, averaging an impressive 1,714 publications annually, encompassing both print and digital formats.

The report's findings paint a vivid picture of the linguistic diversity that characterizes the Moroccan publishing landscape. Arabic publications emerged as the dominant force, accounting for a substantial 78 percent of the total output within the fields under scrutiny. French publications followed closely, contributing over 17 percent, while English publications occupied a notable 2.5 percent share of the national literary output.

However, the report also sheds light on the challenges faced by private professional publishers in transitioning to digital publishing. The fragile economic model, Moroccan readership habits that perceive digital texts as free, and a lack of awareness regarding intellectual property and author rights have hindered the growth of digitized materials, resulting in a mere 8 percent contribution to the overall publishing output.

Delving deeper into the regional dynamics, the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region emerged as the epicenter of Amazigh publishing, primarily driven by the esteemed Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture. The Souss-Massa region, through the "Tirra" association, also contributed significantly to the Amazigh literary landscape, while the Eastern region secured the third position in this regard.

Notably, the report highlighted the predominance of literary creativity within Amazigh publishing, with 43 creative texts gracing the shelves. However, despite the official adoption of the Tifinagh script in 2003, the report underscored the lingering issues surrounding the standardization of the script used in Amazigh writing. Interestingly, the Latin alphabet maintained its dominance, with 39 publications employing either a unified Latin script or a dual script approach, while only 7 titles embraced the Tifinagh script exclusively.

Furthermore, the digitally published realm witnessed a strong representation of economic studies, accounting for 38.74 percent of the output, trailed by political and strategic studies (23.03 percent) and community studies (10.47 percent).

The report's findings underscore the continuity of the Arabization trend within the Moroccan publishing sector, a phenomenon that has been observed since 2015. This trend can be attributed to the impact of the Arabization movement that swept through Moroccan universities in the 1970s, shaping the linguistic preferences of subsequent generations of researchers and authors.

As the literary landscape of Morocco continues to evolve, this comprehensive report serves as a valuable compass, guiding us through the intricate tapestry of linguistic diversity and publishing trends that define the nation's intellectual and cultural heritage.