Ahmad Aldj

Ahmed al-Tayyeb Aldj (born in Fes in 1928) is a well known Moroccan writer of poetry and drama. He is considered one of the cornerstones of contemporary Moroccan theater. He received several prizes and decorations for his service to Moroccan Arabic language theater. In 1973, he was awarded the prize of Literature of Morocco, and in 1975, the Medal of Intellectual Merit of Syria. He has composed more than forty plays and adapted more than thirty. According to Salim Jay, the theater of al-Aldj is a "treasure of the culture of humanity". He has rewritten, in Moroccan Arabic, works by Molière, Shakespeare and Brecht and has had a great influence on Moroccan popular culture. His work was markedly influenced by French theater, especially the plays of Molière and Bea