French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Khatibi, Jacques Derrida, en effet
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Abdelkébir Khatibi, Jacques Derrida, en effet, Al Manar, 2008.
EAN : 9782913896536
18 €
Publisher's Overview
For twenty years, Khatibi engaged in a rich philosophical and friendly dialogue with J. Derrida; Valerio Adami was among his closest friends. Together, each in his own way, they pay tribute to their departed friend—whose thought remains highly influential in contemporary philosophical discourse.
Four previously unpublished essays by Abdelkébir Khatibi, dedicated to Jacques Derrida, with whom he shared a philosophical exchange for many years. The book is illustrated with drawings by Valerio Adami, one of the close friends of the philosopher who passed away in 2004, yet whose ideas remain vibrantly alive.
Author Biography
Trained as a sociologist and philosopher, Abdelkébir KHATIBI is a versatile and prolific writer. A novelist, poet, essayist, playwright, art critic, and philosopher of language and politics, A. Khatibi has successfully explored every avenue of literary creation. His writing career spans over twenty-five titles, notably including La mémoire tatouée (Denoël, 1971), Le livre du sang (Gallimard, 1979 and 1986), Amour bilingue (Fata Morgana, 1983), Dédicace à l'année qui vient (Fata Morgana, 1986), Un été à Stockholm (Flammarion, 1990), L'art calligraphique de l'Islam (with M. Sijelmassi, Gallimard, 1994), Le roman maghrébin (SMER, Rabat, 1980), Par-dessus l'épaule (Aubier, 1988), Paradoxes du sionisme (Al Kalam, Rabat, 1989), Penser le Maghreb (SMER, Rabat, 1993), La civilisation marocaine (edited with M. Sijelmassi, Actes Sud and Éditions Oum, Casablanca, 1996), La langue de l'autre (éditions Les mains secrètes, New York, 1999), and of course Voeu de silence (out of print, reissued in Quatuor poétique), L'Art contemporain arabe (Al Manar, 2001), Le Corps oriental (Hazan, 2002), Aimance (Al Manar, 2004), and Pélerinage d'un artiste amoureux (Le Rocher, 2004).
This collection brings together four previously unpublished essays in which Moroccan thinker Abdelkébir Khatibi reflects upon his long-standing philosophical and personal dialogue with Jacques Derrida. As a prominent sociologist, novelist, poet, and theorist of language, Khatibi engaged deeply with questions of alterity, bilingualism, and postcolonial thought. His nuanced perspective on Derridean deconstruction is enriched here by a profound intellectual friendship. The volume also serves as a poignant artistic tribute, incorporating striking drawings by the celebrated painter Valerio Adami, who shared a similarly close bond with the influential French philosopher before his passing in 2004.
The book will be of particular value to scholars and readers interested in contemporary continental philosophy, Francophone literature, and the intersections between textual criticism and visual art. By examining the enduring impact of Derrida's thought through the lens of Khatibi's versatile intellect, the essays invite deeper reflection on mourning, memory, and intellectual legacy. It offers a compelling entry point into the cross-disciplinary exchanges that defined late-twentieth-century Mediterranean and European intellectual currents, making it an essential resource for those exploring the broader traditions of modern philosophical essay writing and aesthetic critique.