Voices of Marrakesh: A Record of a Visit

'I came into contact with camels on three occasions, and each occasion ended tragically.' So begins this account of a stay in Marrakesh by one of Europes's major contemporary writers. Elias Canetti uncovers the secret life hidden beneath the city's bewildering array of voices, gestures and faces. In a series of sharply etched scenes he portrays the languages and cultures of the people who fill the bazaars, cafes and streets. The book presents vivid images of daily life: the storytellers in the Djena el Fna, the armies of beggars ready to set upon the unwary and the rituals of Moroccan family life.