Festival Archive

Foundation of the Marrakech English Book Association (MEBA).

First Edition of the Marrakech English Book Festival (MEBF), with the support of the British Embassy in Morocco, was held over three days at Ksour Agafay, Dar Cherifa and the Dar Bellarj Foundation in the Medina of Marrakech.

The festival organization also arranged educational visits to the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) in Ben Guerir, to the Department of Human Science and Letters at the Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) and a series of children's events at the British Academy School in Marrakech.

The Marrakech English Book Association, in partnership with the Olive Writers Association and the American Arts Center (AAC) in Casablanca organized a panel discussion with the authors Yassin Adnan (Hot Maroc) and Ruqaya Izzidien (The Water Melon Boys) and animated by Nick Cherkas from the Oxford University Press.

Inaugural Edition of the Children's and Youth Book Fair (SILEJ) in Casablanca. By invitation of the British Embassy in Rabat, the MEBA organized the Great Britain Pavilion, inviting children's book publishers, authors and illustrators from the UK including Alice Curry, founder of Lantana Publishing, and illustrator Nadine Kaadan.

At the invitation of his excellency the Moroccan Minister of Culture, Alan Keohane, MEBA Secretary, participated in a round table discussion during the 28th edition of the International Salon of Publishing and Books (SIEL) in Rabat.

For the 29th edition of the International Salon of Publishing and Books (SIEL) in Rabat, the MEBA helped organize and manage the first ever UK stand at the international book fair in the presence of HE the British Ambassador to Morocco, Simon Martin, and the Country Director of the British Council, Alexandra Balafrej.

The association inaugurated the Marrakech English Book Award in partnership with Costa Goldex Maroc. The 2024 award was won by Mhani Alaoui for her novel The House on Butterfly Street.

The second edition of the Marrakech English Book Festival was held, with the support of the British Council in Morocco, at the Museum of Confluences in Dar el Pacha and the Foundation Dar Bellarj in the Medina of Marrakech.

The festival also organized educational visits to the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) in Ben Guerir, to the English Department of the Cadi Ayyad University (UCA). It also organized an illustration workshop at the Marrakech School of Visual Arts (ESAV) and a series of children's events at the British Academy School in Marrakech.

The MEBA is administering the 2026 Marrakech English Book Award, with the award ceremony taking place during the third edition of the MEBF in January 2027.