Essential reading list - Fez & Morocco

The View from Fez gets a lot of enquiries about what books to read before coming to Morocco. So we have decided to make up a suggested reading list of books that we and others have found invaluable. If you wish to purchase a book simply click on the linked book title

The novel is a rare example of contemporary English fiction drawing on traditional Moroccan folklore. Written in gripping English prose fused with Arabic words, the novel gives an authentic insight into a Westerner’s experience of modern Moroccan society, whilst simultaneously exposing the reader to the country’s rich cultural history by weaving classic Moroccan folk takes and the mysteries of Sufism into its fabric. The book not only explores the point where East and West merge, but the collision of the human world with the world of the djinns – mysterious shape-shifting creatures of an unseen realm.

Through the Peacock Gate takes you on the journey of a foreigner in Morocco, whose unexpected infatuation leads him into the very heart of the Sufi mystical experience. His descent into madness is exacerbated by his guilt over a tragedy in his past. As he recovers, he is forced to confront a female djinn during a Sufi ceremony in an encounter that could once again tip him back into insanity.

The novel is a rare example of contemporary English fiction drawing on traditional Moroccan folklore. Written in gripping English prose fused with Arabic words, the novel gives an authentic insight into a Westerner’s experience of modern Moroccan society, whilst simultaneously exposing the reader to the country’s rich cultural history by weaving classic Moroccan folk takes and the mysteries of Sufism into its fabric. The book not only explores the point where East and West merge, but the collision of the human world with the world of the djinns – mysterious shape-shifting creatures of an unseen realm.

“Sandy McCutcheon’s latest novel Through the Peacock Gate is the kind of book those of us who live between Occident and Orient have waited an entire lifetime to read. The interweaving layers, the quality of the prose and, most of all, the raw bedrock of cultural knowledge on which it is founded, makes this an invaluable handbook to the mysteries and complexities of Eastern lore. Its pages conjure the mesmerising, magical heart of secret Morocco.”
Tahir Shah, author of The Caliph’s House

The novel set in Fez is essential reading!

Read review here : First review

Where to Buy a copy:
The Arabic Language Institute in Fez,
2 Rue Ahmed Hiba, Fes, Ville Nouvelle 30000
Beacon Books (UK)
Amazon (USA)
Amazon (AUS)

Morocco (Country Guide)

Simply the best and most up to date guide book available.

Fez Encounter

Discover twice the city in half the time with this is essential pocket sized guide book for Fez

…full-color pull-out map to help you navigate the medina with ease
…our resident author, Helen Ranger, recommends the best sights, restaurants, shops and entertainment
…unique itineraries and highlights to make the most of a short break in the world's last intact Medina.
…local experts reveal Fez’s secrets: from Si Mohammed el-Amrani on medicinal herbs to Dr. Armand Guigui on Jewish heritage in the Mellah.

Moroccan Arabic: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

Don't leave home without it! It is very easy to use and the locals will appreciate even a few well chosen phrases.

Morocco - Culture Smart!
a quick guide to customs and etiquette

Jillian York's insiders view of how not to mess things up! A sharp guide for the unwary.

A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco

Suzanna Clarke's bestseller is a real insight into life in Fez - not just about restoration but wonderful and heart-warming descriptions of everyday life in the Medina. There are English, Australian, American and Korean editions.

Please note! There is a new book out called The House in Fez - the title capitalising on the popularity of A House in Fez - A bit cheeky and it is a romance and nothing like Suzanna Clarke's book.

Lords of the Atlas: The Rise and Fall of the House of Glaoua, 1893-1956

British author Gavin Maxwell (Ring of Bright Water) details the daily life, customs, and rituals in pre-independence Morocco and of recounts the rise and fall of El Hadj T'hani El Glaoui, the legendary tribal warlord through whom the French ruled one of their prize colonies in North Africa. He shows how the blend of Berber, Arab, and black African races created an extraordinary cultural mosaic and explains how the French colonialists recruited the Atlas Mountain tribal warlords to subdue the other tribes. As the chief beneficiary of this policy, El Glaoui was able to rule most of southern Morocco in an absolute fashion, until Morocco's independence from France in 1956 brought an end to the rule of a very colorful warlord. The book contains many superb color photographs that enhance Maxwell's lively narrative.

Fez: City of Islam - Titus Burkhardt

Fez: City of Islam is undoubtedly one of Titus Burckhardt's masterpieces. It conveys a profound understanding of the sacred roots that nourish Islamic culture and civilisation. As a young man in the 1930s, Burckhardt spent some years in Morocco where he became acquainted with several remarkable representatives of the spiritual heritage of the Maghreb. Although he committed much of this experience to writing, it was not until the 1950s that these writings were developed into a book. In Fez: City of Islam, Burckhardt writes of the history of a people and their religion and history that was often violent, often heroic and sometimes holy. The book relates the teachings, parables and miracles of the saints of many centuries and demonstrates not only the arts and crafts of Islamic civilisation, but also its sciences and administrative skills. Burckhardt's unique black and white photographs from the 1930s are included. In addition 41 new colour illustrations have been specially selected to enhance Burckhardt's originals. Here, text and illustrations come together to provide an insight into the way the life of a people can be transformed at every level by a religious tradition.

Dreams Of Trespass: Tales Of A Harem Girlhood

Fatima Mernissi's rich, magical and absorbing growing-up tale set in a little-known culture reflects many universals about women. The setting is a "domestic harem"in the 1940s city of Fez, where an extended family arrangement keeps the women mostly apart from society, as opposed to the more stereotypical "imperial harem," which historically provided sex for sultans and other powerful court officials. Moroccan sociologist Mernissi ( Islam and Democracy ) charts the changing social and political frontiers and limns the personalities and quirks of her world.

Fiction & Literature

Spider's House: A Novel

This is the classic by Paul Bowles. A must read. The dilemma of the outsider in an alien society, and the gap in understanding between cultures, recurrent themes of Paul Bowles's writings, are dramatized with brutal honesty in this novel set in Fez, Morocco, during that country's 1954 nationalist uprising. Totally relevant to today's political situation in the Middle East and elsewhere, richly descriptive of its setting, and uncompromising in its characterizations, The Spider's House is perhaps Bowles's best, most beautifully subtle novel.

The Cobbler's Apprentice

Sandy McCutcheon's explosive international thriller contains some wonderfully evocative scenes in Fez.

''The best of the current crop of terrorist thrillers ... This intelligent novel blends the machinations of the spy novel with the action and geopolitics of the international thriller to produce a credible and truly scary read ... This is McCutcheon's finest novel to date.'Jeff Popple (Canberra Times)

'This book is nothing less than a rip-roaring action thriller with politicians and thugs, scientists and spies — and an unnerving sense of the possible.' Samela Harris (Adelaide Advertiser)

'It's a gripping read because of its eerie prescience. But in McCutcheon's professional hands, it will also have you reading on the edge of your seats.' Jan Hallam (Sunday Times)