Streetwise - Paperback

by Mohamed Choukri (Author), Paul Bowles (Translator)

"Choukri is a powerful teller of stories. His telling of oppression is vivid and remarkable."--Morning Star

The story of Mohamed Choukri's life is continued in the sequel to For Bread Alone. In his early twenties, Choukri takes the momentous decision to learn to read and write. When not at school he hangs out in cafés, drinking and smoking kif. Some nights he sleeps in a dosshouse, but mostly he sleeps in mosques or on the street, while local prostitutes take him home, providing some human solace.

Mohamed Choukri is one of North Africa's most controversial and widely read authors.

Back Jacket

This is the story of Mohamed Choukri and shows how throughout his trials and vicissitudes, two things shine through: Choukri's determination to use literacy to rise above the cruel hand fate has dealt him; and his compassion for the normally despised human beings who share this life of 'the lowest of the low.'

Author Biography

Mohamed Choukri (1935-2003) is one of North Africa's most controversial and widely read authors. After a childhood of poverty and petty crime, Choukri learned how to read and write at the age of twenty. He then became a teacher and writer, finally being awarded the chair of Arabic Literature at Ibn Batuta College in Tangier. Paul Bowles is a distinguished writer and translator who is best known for his novel The Sheltering Sky.