Literary Event to Showcase New Poetry Collection
The historic city of Marrakech is set to host a literary and artistic gathering on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, beginning at 6 PM. This event will mark the presentation and signing of the new poetry collection titled "Voices of the Medina" by the acclaimed Italian poet Anna Maria Gallo. The venue for this exciting occasion is the charming Riad Dar Shrifa.
This gathering is part of the cultural and artistic program of the venue, celebrating a poetic journey that has evolved over more than three decades, highlighting the emotional and cultural bond between Gallo and Morocco, especially the enchanting city of Marrakech.
In her collection, Gallo takes readers on a poetic journey through the narrow streets of the ancient city, where memory intertwines with the senses. The feelings of love, friendship, and nostalgia coexist alongside existential questions and the quest for identity. In this work, Marrakech transcends its geographical boundaries, emerging as a vibrant character within the poetic experience, rich with details, faces, scents, sounds, and memories.
A Journey of Discovery and Cultural Exploration
The roots of this journey trace back to 1994 when a young Anna Maria Gallo first visited Morocco as a tourist. What began as an initial visit has transformed over the years into a profound connection with the culture and human heritage of Morocco. Since that first trip, Gallo has continued to explore various facets of Moroccan culture, traveling through Amazigh villages and the vast Sahara, drawing upon the values of hospitality, sharing, and coexistence that she encountered during her travels.
In this sense, "Voices of the Medina" resembles more of an open poetic diary of memories than a mere collection of poems. Through her verses, Gallo recalls moments, experiences, and meetings, transforming them into poetic material that carries a human dimension that transcends the confines of place and culture. Her work is characterized by a language that is simple yet intense and evocative, aiming to give names and words to feelings that often elude expression in everyday life. Thus, poetry becomes a means of self-discovery as much as it is an attempt to understand the other, the place, and memory.
However, the uniqueness of this collection extends beyond its poetic texts; it also engages in a dialogue with the works of Moroccan visual artist Mohamed Najahi. This collaboration merges poetry and visual art into a format that encourages interaction between word and color, presenting the book as a model of what could be described as a "composite text." The artworks included do not merely illustrate the poems, nor do the poems simply describe the paintings. Instead, a complementary and interactive artistic relationship emerges, where words illuminate what color might conceal, and color provides a visual extension to what language sometimes struggles to convey.
The event will provide an opportunity to intimately explore the collection and its creator through poetry readings and an open dialogue concerning the circumstances surrounding the birth of the work, its formation, and the background of a journey that spans over 32 years. Participating in the event will be poet and art critic Dr. Boujemaa Aloufi, poet and journalist Dr. Mustafa Ghalem, along with visual artist Mohamed Najahi, who has contributed several of his works to the collection. One of his paintings even adorns the book's cover.
Simultaneously with the book presentation, an exhibition of Mohamed Najahi's works will be held at the same venue, allowing attendees to appreciate the visual aspect of the experience that intertwines poetry and art. The evening will also feature musical performances by artist Aziz Abla on the oud, aiming to enrich the event with a complete artistic dimension where word, image, and music coexist harmoniously.
The event is expected to attract the presence of the Consul General of Italy in Casablanca, along with several members of the Italian diplomatic corps, as well as intellectuals, artists, and those interested in literary and artistic affairs.
Ultimately, "Voices of the Medina" offers a different perspective on the relationship between humans and places; a bond that is built not merely on residence or visitation but on the accumulation of memory, transforming the place into a part of personal experience. For Anna Maria Gallo, Marrakech is not just a city that inspired poetry; it is a space where a journey that began in 1994 has unfolded over three decades, finding in poetry a means to reclaim what places have left in memory.
As reported by akherkhabar.ma.
