The French Institute of Marrakech has the merit of having been the first institution to invite Fouad Laroui on 14 May 2013, and to allow its members to meet him after he won the Prix Goncourt de la nouvelle.

With his usual smile and the sense of humour he never loses, Fouad Laroui met his readers at the French Institute of Marrakech. He was introduced by the director, Pierre Raynaud, who tried throughout the meeting to put him at ease and foster the necessary atmosphere for him to express himself without hindrance. Indeed, Laroui did not take long to retrace his professional career, alongside which a most interesting literary career was developing. His training as an engineer and subsequently his work at the university as an economics professor did not prevent him from dedicating his weekends to his first love, spending all his rest periods reading and writing to ensure his presence on the Moroccan and international literary scene. His efforts were crowned last month by the Prix Goncourt de la nouvelle, one of the great literary honours in France. The writer declared that he did not expect this prize; his commitment to Julliard, the publishing house he described as "small", even though it publishes big names like Yasmina Khadra, was not promising. Moreover, a journalist from a French television channel had suggested he leave this publishing house if he wanted to become more famous. However, his sense of commitment and the respectful behaviour observed towards him at this house prevented him from looking elsewhere. This prize proves once again that good literature, in a democratic country, does not always need to be pushed to be launched; it imposes itself even if there is no one behind it.

To the question: "How did you receive the news of the prize and what does it change in you?" Laroui replied that being chosen by "the fathers of literature" was extremely pleasing and that it imposed a different rhythm of work and a different perspective. The writer cited a number of novelists who, after winning the Goncourt or other prizes, found themselves without inspiration, unable to produce, their pens refusing to move on the paper and their imagination falling into an incurable sterility. This problem does not arise for him; he knows very well that those who know he is an award-winner, especially in Morocco where readers can be counted on the fingers of one hand, are not numerous, and therefore, one must not have illusions; he is not a celebrity in another field like football or singing for that to prevent him from living normally and continuing the path he has taken since his youth, and which he pursued in preparatory classes and at the engineering school where all his fellow students devoted themselves body and soul to mathematics while he hid to read or write his first attempts. "When I pass through the Jamaâ El Fna square and realise that almost no one in the crowd knows me, I tell myself that above all, I write for myself, to express an imperious need and there is no reason to stop this exercise".

Sofitel between sadness

and paradise

Fouad Laroui tells the story of the short story "The Strange Affair of Dassoukine's Trousers". The hotel chain Sofitel invites certain writers to spend a week in one of its establishments around the world and in return, the creator commits to writing a short story in which he must praise the merits of the hotel. Laroui accepts the contract and spends a week in Brussels fully enjoying the offered holiday. Upon returning home, he writes the story of a Moroccan minister who, on the eve of negotiating a serious matter concerning his country, has his trousers stolen in a Sofitel. Proud of having written a substantial and humorous text, Fouad Laroui presents his story to the hotel manager who informs him, after reading it, that he is really disappointed and that this is not the kind of text expected from such a talented writer. At the Sofitel hotel, one does not steal, Monsieur! To honour his commitment, Laroui writes a second short story with a serious and grave tone. The manager finds himself once again forced to refuse the text because it denotes a profound sadness. At the Sofitel hotel, one is never sad, Monsieur, one forgets all one's worries. Finally, the writer understands the kind of story he is being asked for. A short story where Sofitel appears as paradise on earth, a hotel that saves the world... Thus, the writer finds himself after this stay with three short stories, one of which will subsequently win the famous Goncourt. As for the name Dassoukine, the writer wanted to pay tribute to one of the figures of humour in Morocco, a figure who did not fully benefit from his talent or who was not valued at his true worth.