The atmosphere at the CCME stand during SIEL 2026 felt less like a traditional book launch and more like a gallery opening. There was a curated stillness to the event as Jamal Eddine Naji symbolically opened the doors to his latest work, Galerie marocaine. Portraits, a collection that functions as a living archive of the men and women who have shaped Morocco’s collective memory.
For Naji, a veteran journalist and educator, the project is an exercise in cultural recovery. The book spans over five decades of journalistic writing, tracing a line from his earliest chronicles in the 1970s through to 2025. It is not merely a biographical directory but a sociological map of a changing nation, with a particular focus on the vibrant, often overlooked social fabric of Casablanca and its working-class neighborhoods.
The presentation, moderated by Narjis Rerhaye, highlighted the intersection of professional mentorship and artistic mastery. Rerhaye, who spoke of Naji’s influence on her own understanding of the “art of the portrait,” framed the work as a testament to an unwavering commitment to ethical and inclusive communication. In a media landscape often dominated by the ephemeral, Naji’s work seeks to anchor the Moroccan identity in documented fact and human trajectory.
Mapping the ‘Missing River’ of Moroccan Culture
Central to the discussion was Naji’s concept of the “missing river” (le fleuve manquant). He posits that while Morocco possesses numerous “tributaries”—individual chronicles, short stories, novels, and portraits—it lacks a cohesive, collective narrative that synthesizes these elements into a comprehensive look at social and cultural history.
According to Naji, this void is not accidental. He attributed the lack of a unified historical reflection to several systemic barriers, including past restrictions on freedom of expression, a tendency toward cultural self-deprecation, and a broader sense of cultural disappropriation. This gap is most evident, he noted, in academia, where he observed a recurring trend of students failing to cite Moroccan authors in their own bibliographies.
Naji argued that the act of describing others is, a method of self-construction. “To describe others is to learn about oneself, to build oneself,” Naji stated during the encounter. He warned that a society unable to cast a critical and honest gaze upon its own history lacks the necessary tools for effective self-governance.
A Mosaic of Intellectual and Social Pillars
The Galerie marocaine serves as a sanctuary for figures who might otherwise have faded from public consciousness. The portraits are diverse, bridging the gap between the avant-garde, the academic, and the activist. The work captures a cross-section of the Moroccan intelligentsia and the grassroots fighters for human dignity.
| Category | Featured Figures | Contribution to Memory |
|---|---|---|
| Arts & Culture | Tayeb Saddiki, Mohamed Kacimi, Ahmed Bouanani, Abderrahmane Rahoule | Pioneering Moroccan theater, cinema, and visual arts. |
| Education & Sociology | Guy Martinet, Jean-Pierre Koffel, Paul Pascon | Academic rigor and the study of Moroccan social structures. |
| Human Rights | Driss Benzekri, Mustapha Iznasni | Advocacy for justice and the preservation of civil liberties. |
| Public Intellectuals | Noureddine Sail, Larbi Messari | Contributing to the national discourse on identity and governance. |
Journalism in the Age of Digital Noise
The conversation shifted toward the precarious state of modern journalism. Naji reflected on his early days at Maghreb Informations, recalling a time when archives were physical spaces—often neglected and “the paradise of rats and mice.” Today, the challenge has inverted: journalists no longer suffer from a lack of information, but from an abundance of “spoiled” or unreliable sources.
Naji emphasized that the “sacerdotal” duty of the engaged journalist is the pursuit of truth through rigorous documentation. He cautioned against the slide from objective reporting into what he described as “emotional venting” (défoulements), where the desire for impact outweighs the commitment to fact.
Despite the volatility of the digital era, Naji remains optimistic about the eventual return to ethical standards. He suggested that as ethics decline, the intervention of the judiciary inevitably increases, leading to a “government of judges.” To prevent this, he advocated for a return to pedagogical priorities, specifically the cultivation of critical thinking through masterclasses and direct mentorship.
Galerie marocaine. Portraits is presented as a tool for observation. Naji urged readers not to view the portraits as isolated biographies, but as markers of evolution. By tracing the lives of these individuals, he believes the reader can better understand the trajectory of Morocco itself—its struggles, its intellectual triumphs, and its enduring social resilience.
The presentation at SIEL 2026 concludes as part of a broader series of literary discussions hosted by the CCME. Further details regarding the book’s distribution and upcoming masterclasses on the art of the portrait are expected to be released via the author’s official channels and the CCME press office.
We invite you to share your thoughts on the preservation of social memory in the comments below.
