Magical realism in Libya

This essay argues that the writings of Libyan Ibrahim al-Kuni, and particularly Nazif al-hajar with its emphasis on animal-human juxtapositions and metamorphoses, should be considered examples of Arab magical realism. The circular narrative tells the story of a multi-generational struggle of a Touareg family with a legendary animal called a waddan. The last scion, he is taken on a trip to the border between the natural and the supernatural where he metamorphoses into the predator, the legendary animal and the history that both contain. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2010.

Duke Scholars

Author miriam cooke Asian & Middle Eastern Studies