’’I’m a Woman. Man, Woman, M–Woman.’’ – Identity, Sexuality, and the Body in the Short Fiction of Malika Moustadraf

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ABSTRACT This article reads Malika Moustadraf’s recently translated collection of short stories as an instance of a new generation of Moroccan female writing that subverts conventional expectations of female fiction and understanding of gender identities in Morocco. Following a narrative criticism approach, the article investigates how Moustadraf uses fiction to communicate an identity crisis when the experiences of the body toggle between desire and disgust, rot and purity, and ultimately, life and delusion. In Moroccan fiction, identity, the body, and sexuality have often been considered a male territory, mostly explored through male lenses. By tackling issues of gender fluidity, cybersex, and body relations in the Moroccan context as early as the beginning of the twenty-first century, Moustadraf’s short stories contribute to an avant-garde female literary tradition that would only gain ground about two decades later. While female writing has long been conditioned by social expectations for language and themes to be feminine, Moustadraf stands out by breaking through the boundaries of taboo identities and excessively polished writing. A close reading of Moustadraf’s long-lost works provides a fresh perspective on the development of Moroccan fiction and gender consciousness in contemporary Morocco.