The Challenge of Moroccan Cultural Journals of the 1960s

A few years after Morocco’s much longed-for achievement of independence (1956), a new generation of intellectuals too young to have participated in what is widely called the nationalist movement burst onto the cultural and political scenes, and shifted the focus of debate from the “glorious” past towards social and international realities. The 1960s witnessed the appearance of a diverse group of political, scientific and especially cultural and literary journals that changed the course of intellectual life in Morocco. The creation of these new channels of expression out of the emerging institutions of independent Morocco meant a rupture with the prevailing patterns dominated by nationalist and salafī ideals. This article intends to highlight the role and spirit of these generally overlooked journals within their contextual and historical framework.