Grand Prix de la Francophonie Marks Pinnacle of Abdelfattah Kilito’s Profound Impact on Ancient Arabic Literary Traditions

 

Moroccan literary scholar and writer Abdelfattah Kilito’s efforts in spreading recognition for Arabic literature have been honored again in the form of the Grand Prix de la Francophonie, one of two prestigious prizes awarded annually by the French Academy. The award, which marks Kilito’s second prize from the French Academy since he received the French Academy Award in 1996, celebrates the author for his contributions to developing the French language worldwide. A renowned Arabic literary critic, Kilito has authored several books in Arabic and French, devoting himself to safeguarding ancient Arabic literature. His book “Thou Shalt Not Speak My Language” (2002) remains a valuable resource for scholars on the Arabic literary tradition, establishing him as one of the greatest Arab and Francophone writers.

 

As a Francophone writer, Kilito stands apart from other writers for his dedication to Arabic literature, even in different languages. Though he has taught French literature for four decades, his published works focus on Arabic literature. He states, as quoted by Abdul Rahim al-Khasar in Independent Arabia, "I will not add anything significant to what the French have written. Moreover, they, and this is what is important, do not expect me to write about their literature…Their literature does not need me. On the contrary, the feeling did not leave me naive, without a doubt, that Arabic literature needs me as much as I need it. I firmly believed this; I would not have written without it.”

 

Kilito has received numerous honors for his scholarly contributions to understanding the Arabic language and literature throughout his life. He received the Great Moroccan Award in 1989 and went on to receive the French Academy Award (1996), Al Owais Award for Criticism and Literature Studies (2006), and most recently the King Faisal Prize of Arabic Language and Literature (2023), who awarded him the prize for his “prowess in interpreting ancient narrative works with extensive studies…he visited areas in the ancient Arabic narrative that no one had paid attention to before him,” according to the award statement. His studies on ancient Arabic literature have reached worldwide audiences, translated into English, German, Italian, Spanish, and others, and through his international lectures as a visiting professor to Harvard, the Sorbonne, Princeton, Purdue, and Collège d'Or.

 

With his various achievements and accolades, Kilito founded a “new and unusual writing style that can be named after him,” writes Khasar. The publication of his book “Thou Shalt Not Speak My Language” invited a much-needed cultural shift within the French publishing scene, which previously was “not willing to risk publishing a study in French about ancient literary texts that had not been translated initially into this language,” in the words of Khasar. He cites Kilito’s commentary on the experience, which the author shared in his book “Abandoning Literature” (2021): “And what can I say about my research that angered the French publisher? May I talk about its impact? A few years after its publication, French translations of most of the Arabic books in my study followed.”

 

Described as a “defender of Arabic literature in a non-Arabic language” by Independent Arabia, the Grand Prix de la Francophonie reaffirms Abdelfattah Kilito’s image as a protector of Arabic language, literature, and ancient literary tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

5762 Lincoln Ave. #1005

Cypress, CA 90630