On Wednesday at 4.30pm in the Faculty of Arts Library of the University, Prof. Mourad Yelles (pictured) will be giving a public talk in English entitled ‘Some main issues on oral tradition. Women’s urban quatrains in North Africa’.

His overview of this complex area of study will be illustrated by references to his research on female oral poetry in the Maghreb. The talk is being organised by the Department of Maltese in the Faculty of Arts. Academics, students and the public are welcome to attend.

This event will launch a research project on Maltese oral traditions coordinated by Adrian Grima, Manwel Mifsud and Michael Spagnol.

The Department of Maltese aims to bring together Maltese and foreign academics, as well as researchers working in the community. This long-term research project will feature other public talks by both established and up-and-coming researchers in the field, including postgraduate students.

Mourad Yelles is professor of Maghrebi literature at the Paris-based Inalco (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales). A scholar of Maghrebi literatures in both francophone and arabophone North Africa, he also probes francophone American and Caribbean literary productions, focusing on comparative studies of these oral and written literatures.

Prof. Yelles studied at the Universities of Algiers, London (SOAS) and the Sorbonne (Paris 3). He is the head of the research team on Langues et Cultures du Nord de l'Afrique et Diasporas.

His estensive work on female oral poetry in Algeria now extends to the Maghreb in general. Prof. Yelles has given various lectures hosted by the Department of Maltese and carries out research together with members of the Department.