The magazine was born out of a meeting of minds among a group of self-styled "linguistic guerrillas," led by the visionary Abdellatif Laâbi. These radical thinkers were not merely challenging the status quo; they were rewriting the very rules of engagement between culture and politics. Their mission was to create a new aesthetics for the Maghreb, one that would shake off the remnants of colonial influence and embrace a reinvigorated sense of identity.  

The 1960s in Morocco were a period of intense socio-political upheaval. Thousands of Moroccans took to the streets in strikes and protests, challenging an oppressive regime that responded with brutal force: Laâbi and his peers viewed language as a battleground. They believed that by reclaiming and revitalizing their linguistic heritage, they could dismantle the lingering structures of colonial control and create a new cultural narrative for North Africa. Souffles-Anfas was the vessel through which they would launch this ambitious project, providing a platform for voices previously suppressed or marginalized. 

Over its brief but impactful run from 1966 to 1971, Souffles-Anfas quickly became one of the most influential literary and political reviews in postcolonial North Africa. The magazine was a bilingual French and Arabic publication, reflecting its dual role as both a local and international voice. As an early forum for tricontinental postcolonial thought, Souffles featured a diverse array of content, including experimental poetry, literary manifestos, abstract art, political essays, open letters, and interviews. Contributors such as Abdelkebir Khatibi, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Albert Memmi, Etel Adnan, Sembene Ousmane, René Depestre, and Mohamed Melehi provided valuable insights into the political and artistic imaginaries of the Global South, offering resonant reflections in the context of the Arab Spring.

The atmosphere was charged with revolutionary fervor, and figures like Mehdi Ben Barka, who forged connections with global progressive leaders such as Che Guevara and Malcolm X, were at the forefront of this struggle. In this volatile environment, Souffles-Anfas became a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration. The magazine’s editorial direction increasingly aligned with Marxist-Leninist ideologies and Arabic language cultural production, reflecting the broader political currents of the time. It became the voice of the leftist party Ila al-Amam, founded by Laâbi and fellow editor Abraham Serfaty. The magazine’s reach extended far beyond Morocco’s borders. It captured the imagination of intellectuals and activists across the Maghreb, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and even Latin America. Each issue, modestly priced at 3 Moroccan Dirhams, was a gateway to a broader intellectual and artistic conversation, drawing in readers who were eager to engage with the progressive and revolutionary ideas it presented.

A major intellectual reference for Souffles was Franz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, as well as early postcolonial writers — Aimé Césaire, Mario de Andrade, and René Depestre — and journals like Présence Africaine. The art critic Abdallah Stouky would, for instance, write on “nostalgia for Negritude” (of the Senghorian variety) at the Dakar International Festival for Negro Arts in 1966, accusing the organizers of fabricating a false “negro unity” based on the European enthusiasm for “primitive arts” that had been set off half a century earlier by artists such as Pablo Picasso and Matisse. Exoticism, as Franz Fanon admirably stated, “is a form of racist simplification. From that perspective, no cultural clashes can occur. On the one side there is a culture in which qualities of dynamism, growth, and depth are recognized. A living culture that perpetually renews itself. On the other side there are characteristics, curiosities, objects — but never structures.”

As the magazine’s editorial direction shifted, it increasingly aligned with Marxist-Leninist ideologies and Arabic language cultural production. Eventually, Souffles became the voice of the leftist party Ila al-Amam, founded in 1970 by Laâbi and fellow editor Abraham Serfaty—who, like Laâbi, was sentenced to life imprisonment but evaded capture until 1974. Banned in 1972, Souffles-Anfas became difficult to access, but its relevance has resurfaced in contemporary times. Laâbi was released from prison in 1980 and went into exile in Paris, while Serfaty remained in prison until 1991. In 2010 Laâbi signed an agreement with the curator of the Moroccan national library BNRM to digitize and make accessible the journal’s initial 22 issues, which are available here. 

Souffles is a major magazine for readers and researchers willing to work on Maghreb’s literature and on the problems of moroccan national culture and cultural decolonization, but also for broader, more global societal issues. In the wake of ongoing events in Gaza and the broader context of Palestine, the magazine has once again captured the interest of those seeking powerful language and frameworks for revolutionary thought. Souffles-Anfas remains a pivotal reference for understanding postcolonial literature and cultural decolonization in North Africa. Its exploration of cultural identity, resistance to imperialist narratives, and pursuit of authentic representation continue to offer valuable insights for today’s global cultural and political debates. The magazine stands as a testament to the enduring impact of literary works in shaping and reflecting socio-political contexts, affirming its place as a significant voice in postcolonial studies and cultural discourse.