Belgian-Moroccan writer Fatiha Saidi co-authored the novel Reviens me dire je t'aime with Saïd Ben Ali, offering an epistolary narrative that explores life experiences and migratory journeys through the lens of correspondence. Recently published by La Croisée des Chemins editions in partnership with the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), the novel revolves around the exchanges between Myriam and her brother Daoud. After seeing her relative with the President of the Republic following the Paris attacks in November 2015, Myriam «loses her composure and sends him a scathing letter on March 18, 2016, through her publisher». The letters continue, at times regularly and at times sporadically, filled with both violence and unspoken love. Through their written exchanges, the correspondence delves into the complex relationship between Myriam and Daoud, torn by separation, pain, and mourning. Through fiction, the co-authors offer «a glimpse into the journey of these young people from an immigrant family where words were scarce and both were subjected to societal pressures—pressures Daoud accepted and Myriam fiercely resisted, in a quest for freedom», notes the publisher. This work contributes to the broader body of literature that reflects the struggles and resilience of the children of immigrants. A psychopedagogue and gender expert, Fatiha Saidi channels her writing toward creations that blend fiction with reality, aiming to find the right words to express the joys and struggles of first-generation migrants and their descendants. A political representative from 1999 to 2018, Saidi has authored several works, including Echos de la mémoire sur les montagnes du Rif, which honors her homeland by telling its story through the voices of its women. Her book Dans la peau d'une femme mendiante, published in 2020, emerged from her immersive experience with begging. More recently, Saidi coordinated the collective short story collection J'ai deux amours, celebrating the dual cultural identity between Morocco and Belgium. In this latest collaborative work, Saidi joins forces with Brussels-based author Saïd Ben Ali. While primarily focused on theater, Ben Ali has spent the past decade exploring writing as a limitless form of creative expression.
