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A “Church of / for Poetry”: Revue Aguedal and The Friends of Amazigh Literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2024

Aomar Boum
Aomar Boum*
Affiliation:
University of California, Los Angeles
*
Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This article examines the literary and spiritual initiatives undertaken by Henri Bosco and his collaborators, notably Captain Léopold Justinard, in interwar colonial Morocco. Focusing on the Revue Aguedal, inaugurated by Bosco in Rabat in 1935, I highlight the revue's primary role as a cultural conduit between French and indigenous Amazigh and Arab intellectuals. Bosco's concept of a “poetic church,” championed by contributors such as René Guénon and Ahmed Sefriou, sought to document, safeguard, and translate Amazigh and North African literature. Although the Aguedal literary project experienced interruptions during World War II, it accentuated indigenous perspectives through sections like “Propos du Chleuh,” overseen by Justinard. I also underscore Bosco's simultaneous advocacy for French culture, challenging stereotypical colonial narratives while amplifying Amazigh voices within them. Despite financial challenges leading to the revue's demise after the war, the literary circle fostered enduring literary relationships and left an indelible mark on the nexus of colonial scholarship, literature, and spirituality.

Keywords

Revue AguedalAmazighAhmed SefriouLéopold JustinardHenri BoscoColonial Morocco
Type
Special Focus on Amazigh Literature: Critical and Close Reading Approaches
Information
Review of Middle East Studies , Volume 56 , Issue 2 , December 2022 , pp. 374 - 381
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Middle East Studies Association of North America

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References

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