Meryem Alaoui

Meryem Alaoui (born February 17, 1975) is a Moroccan novelist, entrepreneur, communication and marketing expert, best known for her debut novel, Straight from the Horse’s Mouth, 2020.

Biography Meryem Alaoui is the daughter of poet and former Moroccan MP, Driss Alaoui M’Dghari. She is married to former journalist, Ahmed Reda Benchemsi, director of Human Rights Watch for the Arab World.

Meryem was born and raised in Morocco, 'Come to my Home’ is a dialogue between musicians, artists, poets and free thinkers from different faiths and backgrounds.

Meryem Alaoui lived in New York for several years; in 2018 she returned to Morocco.

Career Meryem Alaoui's first novel, published in France in 2018, and in the United States on September 15, 2020, Straight from the Horse’s Mouth chronicles an insolent, resilient prostitute who has her life turned upside down, when she meets a young director. Emma Ramadan writes, "It’s a wild Morocco that is both more devastating and more fun than anyone might expect. I love Jmiaa’s story, and I love her voice, and I love that she’s allowed to have a painful existence as a sex worker but also a radical transformation into a famous movie star." "Many remarkable characters people the novel in addition to Jmiaa: Halima, a sullen, Quran-studying prostitute; Samira, a loyal friend and colleague of Jmiaa’s; Houcine, the intimidating pimp who keeps them all safe; Jmiaa’s mother, with whom Jmiaa leaves her daughter; and the clients who come and go. Jmiaa’s Casablanca is full of corrupt cops and exploitative men who take advantage of the prostitutes’ vulnerability, but it is also full of friendship, laughter, and triumph." The book is written in first person like a newspaper and presents itself "without taboos, without moral judgment." It is also a highly political book that skillfully maintains distance thanks to humor.