Said El Khaiz is a Moroccan novelist and writer, born on November 8, 1980, in Taroudant, Morocco. He earned his Baccalaureate in Modern Literature in 1999, followed by a diploma from the Teacher Training Center in 2001, and later a Bachelor’s degree in Arabic Studies in 2014. Since 2005, he has served as a teacher in Taroudant while maintaining an active literary and cultural presence.
Literary and Journalistic Career
El Khaiz rose to prominence after winning the Grand National Prize for Young Creators in Morocco for his novel Prisoner of the Margins (Sajin al-Hawamish) in 2005. The novel was later published in a local edition in 2008 after reaching the finals of a major literary competition. He also worked as a journalist for the national newspaper Milafat, where his writings focused on profound human issues, including social marginalization, detention, poverty, human rights, and justice.
In 2012, he co-founded Awraq Thaqafiya (Cultural Papers), a magazine specializing in literature and criticism, alongside writer Fatima-Zahra Riyad and poet Younes Lahdidi.
Published Works and Academic Impact
His published novels include:
Prisoner of the Margins (2008)
Nostalgia of Love and Destruction (2015)
His works have attracted significant academic interest, becoming the subject of several university research projects at both the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels.
Awards and Honors
Said El Khaiz has received several prestigious awards and accolades, most notably:
The Young Creators Award (Novel category) from the Moroccan Ministry of Youth (2005).
Second Prize for Literary Creativity from the Moroccan TV channel 2M (2007).
Numerous certificates of appreciation from various educational and cultural institutions.
