"Morocco," His Majesty, King Hassan II, once said, "is a tree, the roots of which are planted firmly in africa but which has its branches in Europe". This metaphor, better than any other description, sums up the cultural and intellectual life in Morocco today. Deeply attached to the values of Arab- Muslim civilization, the Kingdom of Morocco, of all countries in North Africa, and beyond that, in the Arabic world, has succeeded in bridging the cultures of the countries on the other side of the mediterranean.

These days other names need no introduction, like Tahar Ben Jelloun, whose latest work is the Broken Man, or Driss Chraibi, who has just published A Place in the Sun.

Other names are becoming more familiar, too, like historian Abdallah Laroui, whose work on islam is well known, or poet and novelist Mohammed Khair- Eddine, or author Edmond El Maleh, whose the Return of Abdou El Haki was a success. Author Abdelhak Serhane has also won public acclaim, most notably for The Children of the Narrow Street.

If literature in French is doing rather well, in Arabic it is flourishing. Among the authors writing in Arabic are Mohammed Choukri, with Naked Bread, Mohammed Aziz Lahbabi with Anthology of Contemporary Arabic Literature, Mohammed Berrada, Driss El Khouri, or journalist- poet Abderrafii Jawahri, whose chronicles Nafida (Window) in the Al Ittihad Al Ichtiraki newspaper have delighted readers.

The press, and in particular the Arabic press, nourishes the intellectual debate. Regular conferences, which since 1986 have brought most of the country's intellectuals together in Taroudant in southern Morocco, are solid proof of this revival.

If literature is faring well, so are other aspects of the kingdom's cultural and intellectual life, with Moroccan painting enjoying much success. The Moussem of Asilah, a cultural festival first organized in 1976 by Mohammed Benaïssa and the painter Mohammed Melehi, is today helping painting to flourish. The Moroccan painters Belkahia Bellamine, Cherkaoui and Kacimi exhibited their works in Paris in september 1991.

Cinema is playing a more important role in Moroccan cultural life and distinguished itself in 1991 with the beach of the Lost Children by Jilali Ferhati and Badis by Abderrahman Tazi. In 1993, the film Looking for My Husband's Wife by the same Abderrahman Tazi enjoyed a huge popular success.

Mention must also be made of modern and folk music, both of which enjoy a great success with the public. Popular names include the group, Ach Chou'ala, which sings the poetry of Abdallah Zrika, and Nass El Ghiwane, Whose work illustrates the musical heritage of Morocco.