Award-winning author Niall Griffiths holds talk about Morocco’s literary heritage at Cardiff Met

Author and professor Niall Griffiths recently shared his expertise and insights on Moroccan history at a lecture at Cardiff Metropolitan University for a mixed group of Fine Art, Product Design and Textiles students.

The talk at Cardiff School of Art and Design was held to inspire the students ahead of their upcoming residential trip to Morocco next week, where they will study the colour and texture of Moroccan textiles, learn Arabic and immerse themselves in Moroccan and Berber culture and history.

Niall is the award-winning Welsh author of controversial novels like Sheepshagger and Grits and has been compared to Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh. His novel Stump won two Wales Book of the Year awards.

Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Wolverhampton, and an expert on post-war Poetry and post-war literature in Morocco, he was able to provide the group with an insight into Moroccan art and literature.

He has lived in Morocco as an artist and discussed the literary heritage of modern literature and its links to artists’ colonies in Morocco.

The talk provided students with an alternative view of the cultural heritage of Morocco and how Moroccan culture has influenced western artists and designers.

Sally Grant, CSAD’s Senior Lecturer in Textiles and Fashion at Cardiff Met said:

“The lecture was a very stimulating and richly referenced lecture by an expert in his field. Niall’s lecture was a useful prelude to the students’ trip to Marrakesh.”

A second year student said:

“Niall’s revelation about Islamic art being non-figurative really helped me to understand Moroccan art on a deeper level. He talked about western writers travelling to Morocco during the McCarthy era in search of freedom which was really interesting.”