Western Mediterranean

Mbarek Rabi

Western Mediterranean introduces us to the populous Takaddoum quartier in Rabat, Morocco, to Saman Siko Mado from Ghana who works as a security guard, and to his colleague Balarabi, an older man and expert in ‘the ways of people and the world’. Saman has endured much at the hands of people traffickers and has used various surreptitious means on his journey, before finally arriving in Tangiers where he is spurred on by the hope of crossing to the northern side of the Mediterranean. In the Monamay market in Rabat, he happens to meet Buto, a Nigerian woman who had made a failed journey with him from the port of Tangier. As they renew their relationship, we learn about the bitter experiences of Buto — shared with many others — in her struggle to reach safety.

Publisher

Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing

Nomination

2019 Longlist