One of the pioneering figures of Moroccan literature, the short story writer, novelist, poet, and translator Mohammed Zafzaf, was born in 1945 in Souk El Arbaa El Gharb, near the city of Ouazzane. Toward the end of the 1940s, following the passing of his father, his mother migrated to Kenitra with her children. According to Zafzaf’s own account, he enrolled in a school established by colonial authorities but was unable to continue his education there. He later transferred to a private school founded by nationalists; however, he also encountered difficulties with the children of prominent families. Living in a small house with his mother and siblings, Zafzaf struggled to integrate with his wealthier peers. In response to these challenges, he dedicated himself to his studies, ultimately excelling as the most diligent student in his class across all subjects.

Zafzaf completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in Kenitra, where he grew up, and obtained his high school diploma in 1965. He enrolled in the Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Arts in Rabat where he pursued part of his higher education. However, in 1968, he left the faculty and began working as a middle school teacher in Kenitra. During this period, he developed a strong interest in literature, finding the school library more compelling than teaching itself. Consequently, he left his teaching position to become a library secretary. After completing his tenure in Kenitra, he moved to Casablanca, where he resumed teaching at a high school. Nevertheless, none of these professional engagements provided him with a true sense of fulfillment. The Tunisian philosopher Fathi al-Maskinî (b. 1961) reflects on the nature of poetry in his work ‘Migrating to Humanity’, stating: “Poetry is not a profession; it is an impossible potential that lies in the fate of each of us. However, some of us have managed to awaken an interest in it.” For Zafzaf, this literary potential remained alive throughout his life. By the early 1960s, he had already begun to cultivate his passion for writing, and shortly after, he abandoned teaching and dedicate himself fully to writing.

Mohammed Zafzaf, deeply conscious of the social realities surrounding him, chose to focus on short story writing, believing that the struggles, poverty, suffering, and countless tragedies of the oppressed and impoverished required a more expansive narrative form than poetry. It is also important to note that Zafzaf began his literary career as a poet. His first poems were published in Moroccan newspapers and magazines starting in 1963. Regarding his poetic talent, the Moroccan writer Moustapha al-Shalikh remarked, “Had he not focused his talent on short story writing in the mid-1960s, he could have become an important poet.”

Mohammed Zafzaf wrote about where he lived. In Casablanca, he experienced both chaotic and structured periods of a bohemian lifestyle. Having emerged the narrow alleys of poverty, he never found much pleasure in the bustle of the city, despite its vast horizons. He preferred solitude, but no one left this great writer alone. His home in the Maârif neighborhood became a frequent destination for students, writers, and journalists from both Morocco and abroad. He sometimes expressed discomfort with these visits, saying: “This place doesn’t really feel like my home, and this exhaurts me. If the doorbell is not ringing, then the phone will start. If I were rich, I would buy a house outside Casablanca and rest there.”

Although the King of Morocco personally funded Zafzaf’s long-term medical treatment in Paris, he neither aligned himself with power nor actively opposed or rebelled against it. Furthermore, he did not affiliate with any political party or movemen, instead lived with his unique “leftist” idealism and a humanistic vision, dreaming of a future where justice and freedom prevailed. While he valued opening up to the world, engaging in dialogue with others—both within the Arab world or Western Europe—he consistently emphasized his deep connection to Morocco and his roots to its soil.

Mohammed Zafzâf never wrote his own biography. Despite the fact that all his works were published by publishers outside Morocco, he unfortunately never received an award in his home country. This oversight was eventually compensated through the establishment of an award in his name, presented every three years at the Asilah Cultural Festival. Zafzaf, after a prolonged battle with cancer, passed away on July 13, 2001, at the age of 56.

The poet, short story and novel writer, and translator Mohammed Zafzaf, who holds an important place in both Arab and Moroccan literature, referred to as the “Poet of the Moroccan Novel” and was also recognized by his fellow authors as a “great writer”. Having stepped into the literary world in the early 1960s through poetry, Zafzaf later turned his focus to prose and produced numerous successful works in the genres of novels and short stories. His writings filled a significant gap in the fields of novels and short stories in both the Arab world and Morocco.

In the mid-1960s, during a time when pressures on the leftist and socialist opposition in the country increased, and their leaders were arrested, many cowardly poets and writers fell silent, and some newspapers and writers hesitated to take a stance. However, Zafzaf moved away writing poetry centered on love and individual emotions, genres he considered simple and poor attempts, turning instead poetry infused with a revolutionary spirit. During this period, he stated the influence of by Tunisian poet Abu’l-Qâsım al-Shâbbi, as well as Khalîl Gibrân, Mikhail Noayma, and Mahmoud Taha in his poetry. He dreamed of becoming a poet who wrote in both Arabic and French, but after he began publishing in Arabic, he declared his hatred for French, considering it the language of the colonizers.

Zafzaf became widely recognized in literary circles and among a broader readership through his nearly weekly published reflections on journalism and literature under the title “Diaries on the Road” in al-Alam newspaper from1964 to 1969. Beginning his short story writing career early, Zafzaf published his stories in prestigious magazines such as al-Majalla, owned by Yahya Haqqi in Egypt, al-Adab in Beirut, and al-Ma’arifa in Syria. His stories attracted the attention of Arab critics and literary figures, were widely appreciated throughout the Arab world.

In 1968, he became a member of the Union of Moroccan Writers, which further fueled his determination to write. Two years later, he published his first short story collection, “Hiwarun Fi Laylin Muta’akhkhir” (Dialogue in the Late Hours of the Night), the first fruit of his dream. However, his true breakthrough came in 1972 with the publication of his first novel, “al-Mar’atu wa’l-Wardah” (The Woman and the Rose), which was later recognized as one of the top 100 novels in Arab literature. In this work, Zafzâf broke taboos, crossed red lines, and exercised freedom of expression with remarkable flexibility.

When asked if he had a specific writing ritual, he responded: “I am not a professional writer, so I do not have a ritual for reading and writing. I read whenever I feel like it and spend much of my time reading. I write according to my mood. It’s true that some people say I am a very productive writer and I forgive them. As I told you, I do not concern myself with the world. However, I also respect those who are busy raising their children, building apartments or villas, or running after farming and gardening. I have never thought about such things. I chose to read and write without selling myself to any platform or commercializing what I write. I write as I please, and this brings me peace. I will die with a clear conscience.”

Zafzâf never regarded writing as a privilege, nor did he seek to gain wealth or fame through it. He described fame as deceptive, comparing those who chase it to someone trying to hold water in their hands. In response to a related question, he stated:”Of course, every young person dreams of becoming famous or wealthy when they start writing. But for me, writing is a matter of existence. If I don’t write, I feel as though I no longer want to live. When I say ‘if I don’t write,’ I also mean ‘if I don’t read every day,’ because I feel as though I cannot live without reading.”

He believed that he was not meant to have children, accumulate wealth, or attain worldly positions. In his works, Zafzaf often focused on the theme of death. Although some critics saw this as a flaw, he considered his focus on death as a way of clinging to life and the values of goodness in this fleeting world. He was not an author of velvet dreams or emotional novels with happy endings. Instead, he was a writer who drew inspiration from the harshness of his own life, his class consciousness, his humanity, his foresight, and his determination to break taboos and prohibitions. He rebelled against social inequalities, bourgeois exploitation, and the political silence that bordered on complicity. At the same time, he exposed the restrictions imposed on society under the guise of morality or religious prohibitions, laying bare their secrets.