Maghreb Melhoun Poets (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)

This dictionary of Maghrebi Melhoun poetry and poets brings together a significant number of entries, over 1500, dedicated to both renowned and lesser-known poets from across the Maghreb region. These entries provide biographical and bibliographical identification for each poet, as well as a review of their works, including both published and unpublished material. It is worth noting that Melhoun is a refined form of poetry written in Maghrebi dialectal Arabic, found throughout all Maghreb countries. It is an author-led poetic tradition whose oldest known texts date back to the 16th century. This body of work constitutes an intangible heritage at risk of disappearing, existing as a vast collection of texts that has yet to be fully explored. Melhoun remains a living art form. Even after several centuries, it continues to serve as the foundation for the repertoires of numerous popular musical genres, which it constantly supplies with "new" poetic texts, either through contemporary creations or the recovery of previously unpublished works.