I love reading about a place I am travelling to – whether a travel book on a practical level, or a more immersive fictional story that simply uses the city as a context or backdrop. There have been a few books published recently that I would definitely recommend for any visitor or traveller wanting to get below the skin of Tangier
The first I would recommend , TANGIER From the Romans to the Rolling Stones was written by Richard Hamilton, a former BBC correspondent for North Africa.
Through the pages he “explores its hotels, cafés, alleyways and darkest secrets to find out what it is that has inspired so many international writers, artists and musicians.”
The author manages to bring the history of the city alive and by exploring the words of Moroccan novelist Mohamed Choukri who wrote that “in Tangier everything is surreal and everything is possible” he delves below the surface of Tangier through its ancient, as well as its more contemporary, history.
Another addition to the Tangier library explores the city on a primarily visual level through its interiors and architecture. Inside Tangier: House and Gardens is a beautiful coffee table tome by interior designer Nicolo Castellini Baldissera, with photography by Guido Toroni.
For a more practical, but no less visually pleasing read, In The Mood For has recently added Tangier to their list of curated city guides – it is available in either French or English online HERE or at Les Insolites in Tangier
Currently next to my bed is Night Boat to Tangier this book, longlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize. Set partly in the port of Algeciras it has only the most tenuous of links to Tangier beyond the title and the ferry mentioned in the title, but it is in my opinion a beautiful and evocative piece of writing that has drawn me into its atmospheric and gritty narrative.
Book Shops in Tangier:
If you are in Tangier and looking for a book to read pop into
Librairie les Insolites or Librairie des Colonnes
I would love to hear your recommendations!
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