Blood Feast, Malika Moustadraf
Blood Feast, Malika Moustadraf
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Blood Feast
The Complete Short Stories of Malika Moustadraf

Author: Malika Moustadraf, Alice Guthrie

Narrator: Amin El Gamal, Lameece Issaq

Unabridged: 2 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/10/2022


Synopsis

Malika Moustadraf (1969–2006) is a feminist icon in contemporary Moroccan literature, celebrated for her stark interrogation of gender and sexuality in North Africa. Blood Feast is the complete collection of Moustadraf’s published short fiction: haunting, visceral stories by a master of the genre. A teenage girl suffers through a dystopian rite of passage?,? a man with kidney disease makes desperate attempts to secure treatment?, and a mother schemes to ensure her daughter passes a virginity test. Delighting in vibrant sensory detail and rich slang, Moustadraf takes an unflinching look at the gendered body, social class, illness, double standards, and desire, as lived by a diverse cast of characters. Blood Feast is a sharp provocation to patriarchal power and a celebration of the life and genius of one of Morocco’s preeminent writers.

About Malika Moustadraf

Malika Moustadraf (1969–2006) was a preeminent arabophone writer from Casablanca, Morocco. She died at just thirty-seven, leaving behind a semi-autobiographical novel and a collection of short stories. Four other short stories were published posthumously by the Moroccan literary journal QS and are included in this collection. Admired for her unflinching work, she was also persecuted throughout her short life for her taboo-busting subject matter.

About Alice Guthrie

Alice Guthrie is an independent translator, editor, and curator, specializing in contemporary Arabic writing. Her work often focuses on subaltern voices and activist art. She is currently compiling the first ever anthology of LGBTQIA+ Arabic writing, which is set to appear in parallel Arabic and English editions. She teaches literary translation at the University of Exeter and the University of Birmingham.

About Amin El Gamal

Amin El Gamal is an Egyptian American actor and advocate with a passion for oral storytelling. He is best known for playing fan-favorite Cyclops on the Prison Break revival, which made him the first openly queer Muslim actor to play a leading role on television. He currently resides in Palo Alto, California.

About Lameece Issaq

Lameece Issaq is an actor, voiceover actor, playwright, screenwriter, and Founding Artistic Director of Obie-winning Noor Theatre.


Reviews

Blood Fest collects all of Malika Moustadraf’s short fiction. Set in contemporary-ish Morocco these stories explore fraught gender and family dynamics, highlighting the insidious nature of misogyny. Within these short stories, women are forced to marry men they don’t love, they are abused or mistrea......more

Blood Feast is a collection of feminist short fiction exploring the experiences of women and queer people in Morocco, living in a deeply traditional, religious, and patriarchal society. Moustadraf was ahead of her time in chronicling the experiences of sex workers, trans people, and the inner lives......more

Goodreads review by Mark

As beautiful, sharp and gritty as shattered glass. A truly intelligent artist, telling stories from the margins of society taken too soon. These stories, though short will stay with me for years to come.........more