Photo: Xandrr / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Lalami is a writer whose biography itself reads like a thesis on movement and belonging. Born in Rabat, trained in linguistics in the UK, then earning a doctorate in the United States before turning to fiction, she crosses borders on the page the way she has in life. The Moor's Account, which recovers a silenced historical voice, strikes me as deeply continuous with her own migratory experience. Backed by an American Book Award and a Guggenheim, she writes from the outsider's vantage with unusual clarity. I value authors who build a home out of language, and she is exactly that kind of essential, border-spanning voice.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Laila Lalami
- Name (Japanese)
- ライラ・ララミ
- Reading
- らいら・ららみ
- Born
- February 24, 1968 (age 58)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Monkey
- Origin
- Rabat, Rabat Prefecture, Morocco
- Occupation
- novelist / writer / journalist / essayist / university teacher
2. Background
- University
- University College London
Awards & achievements
- Fulbright Scholarship
- 2015 American Book Awards
- 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Moor's Account | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Laila Lalami born?
Born February 24, 1968 (age 58).
Where is Laila Lalami from?
Laila Lalami is from Rabat, Rabat Prefecture, Morocco.
What does Laila Lalami do?
Laila Lalami works as novelist, writer, journalist, essayist, university teacher.
What is Laila Lalami known for?
Notable works include The Moor's Account.
Novelist — see all → · Writer — see all → · More people from Morocco →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.