The English Pen Online World Atlas

Mauritania

Saturday, 12 April 2008

Writers in Mauritania are isolated from the Arab world because of distances and difficulties in the circulation of publications. Some Mauritanian writers, especially the Francophone ones, are better known in France where authors sometimes publish their work. Furthermore, the journal Lire published a special issue on Mauritanian culture long before the Arab world paid attention to the most removed Maghrebi (North African) country.

The Lebanese al-Adab was the first Arab journal to devote a special section to Mauritanian literature in its spring 1997 issue. This effort helped shed some light on a little-known literature. The editor of al-Adab, Suhail Idris, was well aware of the isolation of Mauritanian writers and the need to introduce them to the Arab reader when he wrote, “We do not pretend that this special folder gives a comprehensive or sufficient description of modern Mauritanian literature, but it opens the door for Mauritanian writers to contribute to the vaster movement of Arabic literature” (al-Adab 1997, p. 35). Slowly but surely, Mauritanian writers and researchers are becoming involved in the Arab cultural scene through their participation in literary conferences and because of the growing number of Mauritanians enrolled in Arab universities (Jrank).

Much of the literary work of Mauritanian writers focuses on Islamic affairs. There is also a love of imaginative literature, including poetry. Stories and poems are passed down through the generations in musical form, recited by storytellers known as ighyuwn. Tales are accompanied by a drum, a Mauritanian guitar (tidinit), or with a harplike instrument (ardin). Poetry is often sung by minstrels and ballad singers. At social events, poetry praising the host or the guests is commonly sung.

Mauritania has one outstanding contemporary novelist, Moussa Ould Ebnou, who writes in both French and Arabic, and has written about his country for UNESCO.