“The Return of King Jibril”: the griot at the heart of the city
Published on
Journalists Rachid Laïreche and Ramsès Kefi. THE ICONOCLAST
Subscriber
Review Journalists Rachid Laïreche and Ramsès Kefi have brought together nine authors who remix language and introduce other figures and places into literature ★★★☆☆
To imagine a storyteller, journalists Rachid Laïreche and Ramsès Kefi brought together nine authors, including Faïza Guène, Salomé Kiner, Mathieu Palain, Faïza Zerouala… who lend their gift of the gab to Jibril, undeniable charisma, and a sharp tongue. His nickname, “the King”: “the breaker of silences on difficult evenings, the merchant of laughter on rainy afternoons, the business class journey to memories when the present offered nothing to sink his teeth into” . At 32, a combination of circumstances brings Jibril back to the La Tortue district, where he spent his childhood holidays.
In front of his friends from back then, he recounted his legends all night long. The time he discovered the "magnificent" taste of snails, the time he lost an Air Max in a general fight, or the epic of the "devil with the [Nike] Sharks," an overzealous, overly politicized preacher. "The Return of King Jibril" mixes and remixes language with varying degrees of success, introducing other figures and places into literature. A beautiful tribute to those who...
Article reserved for subscribers.
Log inWant to read more?
All our articles in full from €1
Or
Le Nouvel Observateur
