Moroccan Najat El Hashimi Won Catalian Sant Joan Prize

Barcelona – Moroccan writer Najat El Hashimi, established in Catalonia (northeast Spain), won the Sant Joan Prize BBVA Catalan literature.

El Hashimi was rewarded in the 35th edition of the Prize for his novel “The filla Mapes,” which was chosen by the jury from among 55 other works in the running.

The award ceremony, endowed with 35,000 euros, was held in Barcelona on Tuesday in the presence of the President of the Catalan Parliament, Nuria Gispert.

“The filla Mapes” which will be published in September by “Edicions 62” is a monologue that tells the story of a girl born in Morocco but grew up in Catalonia and is in a critical stage of its life, the end of high school.

The girl lives with her mother and has to decide how it will manage its future. It therefore has a choice between moving to Barcelona or stay in the family and accept a marriage with a cousin.

Born July 2, 1976 in Nador, Najat El Hashimi arrived in Spain at the age of 8 years. She began her schooling in Catalan schools before joining the University of Barcelona, ​​Arabic Philology Department.

The Moroccan writer who lives in Barcelona, ​​had already received the prestigious “Ramon Llull” in 2008 for its new “The ultim Patriarca” (The Last Patriarch), and the price “Ulysses”. It also published in 2004, “I too am Catalan”.