Realism, Sisterhood, and the Moroccan Female Voice: An Interview with Karima Ahdad

In this interview, Ahdad traces her storytelling roots to her family’s Amazigh oral heritage and describes how that inherited orality presses on her written Arabic prose. She reflects on the impact of her journalistic background, her character-driven writing discipline, and the central role of female solidarity in novels such as Banāt al-Ṣabbār (Cactus Girls) and Al-Mar’atu Al-Ukhra (The Other Woman). Challenging the trope of female rivalry, Ahdad frames patriarchy as the central adversary in her work. The discussion also addresses the balance between realism and social critique, her deliberate choice of Arabic over French or English, the possibilities of translation, as well as the digital demands on contemporary writers. Throughout the interview, Ahdad explains that authentic local storytelling serves as a vital tool for survival and universal human connection.