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Vendor
Liepman Literary Agency
Marc Koralnik
Original language
French

SEXUS ISLAMICUS

Michaëlle Gagnet

Love and sex in Maghreb: the impact of religion and traditions
In Tunis, Alger or Marrakech, there is still no sexual revolution. Love and sex are forbidden, unmentionable, sometimes violent, always complicated.

In this book, confessions of young girls, mature women or men are terrible, such as the frustrations are huge. In
the street, no lovers holding hands. Some hide even in landfills because hotel rooms are forbidden to unmarried couples.

The young married couples often discover sex during their wedding night. Then there are many disappointments, because sexuality is often nourished, for men at least, with X-rated movies. Homosexual men and women hide, because they are the victims of a homophobia shared by the whole society. In Maghreb, the society pressure is overwhelming, the social control is a real lead blanket: reputation and shame are stronger than love.

This book narrates stories of these lovers. The real stories, non-fictionalized, of those who try to love freely, defying conventions. Women, men, married or single, gays, prostitutes speech taboo-less of love and sex, confess their tragic stories such as their funny ones – because they need cunning and ingenuity to love.

To dare speak of sexuality and love in Maghreb, it is denouncing conservatism and machismo in a more honest and radical way than a political speech could do.

Living in Tunisia, Michaelle Gagnet directs documentary films for TV channels such as Arte, France 2, M6. She is also the author of La Mort apaisée, an account about daily life in intensive care unit.
Available products
Book

Published 2019-03-01 by L'Archipel