Books
DREAMS OF TRESPASS: Tales of a Harem Girlhood
This "wonderful and enchanting (book) tells the revelatory story of one Muslim girl's life in her family's French Moroccan harem, set against the backdrop of World War II.” (The New York Times Book Review).
"I was born in a harem in 1940 in Fez, Morocco..."
So begins Fatima Mernissi’s story about a childhood behind the iron gates of a domestic harem. In DREAMS OF TRESPASS, Mernissi weaves her own memories with the dreams and memories of the women who surrounded her in the courtyard of her youth -- women who, without access to the world outside, recreated it from sheer imagination.
A beautifully written account of a girl confronting the mysteries of time and place, gender and sex, DREAMS OF TRESPASS illuminates what it was like to be a young modern Muslim woman in a place steeped in tradition.
Orig. Edition: English / US -Addison Wesley, 1994; Book-of-the-Month Club & Quality Paperback Book Club, 1994; paperback Perseus, 1995. Doubleday/ UK, 1994 under title THE HAREM WITHIN (reverted)
Translations
Arabic – Le Fennec (NISSEA ALLA), 1997; new edition forthcoming
Bulgarian - Emmas (reverted)
Catalan - Ediciones Columna, 1996; reissue, 2003 (reverted)
Chinese - The Writers Publishing House, 2007 (reverted)
Croatian – Tisak (reverted)
Czech – Dr. Vera Bekjenke (reverted)
Danish - Centrum (GRAENSELOSE DROMME), 1994; Boger book club, 1995; Den Grimme Aelling audio, 1997 (reverted)
Dutch - De Geus (HET VERBODEN DAKTERRAS), ECI bookclub, 1994; paper, 1995
Finnish - Otava (UNELMA VAPAUDESTA), 1995 (reverted)
French- Albin Michel (RÊVES DE FEMMES: Une Enfance au Harem), 1996; Livres de Poche, 1998
French / Maghreb - Le Fennec, 1997
Galician - Laiovento (forthcoming)
German - Herder (DER HAREM IN UNS), 1994; paper, 1996 (reverted)
Indonesian - Mizan, 1999 (reverted)
Italian - Giunti (LA TERRAZZA PROIBITA), 1996; Astrea Pocket Edition, 2006; new edition, Sept 2023
Japanese - Miraisha, 1998 (reverted)
Malayalam – Serialization Chandrika Weekly, 2011; book version DC Books, 2014 (reverted)
Norwegian - Cappelens (DROMMER OM FRIHET), Bokklubb, 1994 (reverted)
Polish - Philip Wilson, 2000 (SNY O WOLNOSCI); Bertelsmann book club 2002 (reverted)
Portuguese / Brazil - Companhia das Letras (SONHOS DE TRANSGRESSAO), 1996 (reverted)
Portuguese / Portugal - Edicoes ASA (SONHOS PROIBIDOS), 1998; combined edition with SCHEHERAZADE GOES WEST (NASCI NUM HAREM), 2013 (reverted)
Serbian – Laguna, 2015 (reverted)
Spanish / Spain & Argentina - El Aleph Editores (formerly Muchnik) (SUENOS EN EL UMBRAL), 1995; Circulo de Lectores book club, 1995; Muchnik paper, 2000 (reverted); Spanish World Random House/Ediciones B forthcoming)
Swedish - Norstedt (DROMMER UR FRIHET), 1994 (reverted)
Turkish - Varlik, 1996 (reverted)
Urdu - Simorgh Women’s Collective, 2003 (reverted)
THE VEIL AND THE MALE ELITE: A Feminist Interpretation of Women’s Rights in Islam
Mernissi “argues covincingly that neither the Prophet, nor the Allah as the source of the Holy Law, desired anything other that equality between the sexes, and not an equality enforced by separation…. By examining the foundations of Islam, Dr. Mernissi could well change our interpretation of the words ‘Islamic fundamentalism.’ It is no mean feat to be an open feminist in a Muslim theocracy like Morocco.” (San Francisco Review of Books).
Orig. Edition: French – Albin Michel (LE HAREM POLITIQUE: Le Prophete et les Femmes), 1987; new paperback edition, 2010 (reverted)
Translations
Arabic/Maghreb – Le Fennec, 2022
Azeri – Azerbaijan, 2007 (reverted)
Bangla - Bangladesh - ActionAid Bangladesh (reverted)
Dutch - De Geus (DE POLITIEKE HAREM), 1994
English / UK - Blackwell (WOMEN AND ISLAM), 1991 (reverted)
English / US - Addison Wesley, 1991; paper, 1993 (reverted)
French/ Maghreb – new edition, Le Fennec, 2017
German - Dagyeli (DER POLITISCHE HAREM), 1989; Herder, 1992 (reverted)
Italian - ECIG (DONNE DEL PROFETA), 1992 (via Albin Michel)
Macedonian - Sigmapress Publishing House, 2004 (reverted)
Malayalam – M/s Olive Productions, 2009; DC Books, 2014 (reverted)
Spanish - Ediciones del Oriente y del Mediterráneo (EL HARÉN POLITICO, EL PROFETA Y LAS MUJERES), 1992
Turkish - Afa Yayincilik, 1992 (via Albin Michel) (reverted)
BEYOND THE VEIL: Male and Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim Society
Orig. Edition : English/US - Schenkmann, 1975; revised edition, Indiana University Press, 1987. Saqi/UK 1985; revised & with new Introduction, 2011.
Translations
Arabic- Le Fennec (AL JINS QA HANDASA IJTIMA’IYA), 1987; (new edition forthcoming)
Bangla – Banglaprakash, 2009 (reverted)
Dutch - De Geus (ACHTER DE SLUIER), 1994
French – Tierce/Payot Rivages (SEXE, IDEOLOGIE, ISLAM), 1983 (reverted)
French/Maghreb - Magare Bines, 1987; reissued by Le Fennec with new introduction, 2017
German - Frauenbuch (GESCHLECHT, IDEOLOGIE, ISLAM), 1991 (reverted)
Malayalam – DC Books, 2015 (reverted)
"Required reading . . . " ―Elizabeth Fernea, The University of Texas at Austin
"If a reader were to select only one book in order to gain insight into women's status and prospects in Islamic society, this study should be the one chosen for its clarity, honesty, depth of knowledge and thought-provoking qualities." (Arab Book World)
In her new introduction to the 2011 edition, Mernissi posits that women’s invasion of the 500-plus Arab satellite channels in the twenty-first century, including as television anchors, film and video stars, supports her theory that Islam as a religion celebrates female power.
A QUOI RÊVENT LES JEUNES?
Orig. Edition: Arabic and French, Marsam, 2008
Based on a writing workshop Fatema Mernissi conducted in 2007
CHAHRAZAD N’EST PAS MAROCAINE: Autrement, Elle Serait Salariee
Orig. Edition: Arabic (CHAHARAZAD LAYSAT MAGHRIBIYA), 1988
Translations
Arabic – Le Fennec (new edition forthcoming)
French/Maghreb - Le Fennec, 1988; reissued 1991
The complete English title of this book specifically targetted to a Moroccan readership, is SHEHERAZAD IS NOT A MOROCCAN, OTHERWISE SHE WOULD BE A SALARIED WORKER.
DOING DAILY BATTLE
This book is a collection of in-depth interviews with Moroccan women from different backgrounds that Mernissi recorded in colloquial Arabic.
Orig. Edition: French/Mahgreb - SMER (LE MAROC RACONTE PAR SES FEMMES), 1983; Le Fennec, 2015
Translations
Arabic – SMER (reverted)
Dutch - Unieboek (VROUWEN IN MAROKKO AAN HET WOORD), 1985; De Geus, paper, 1983 (reverted)
English / UK - Women’s Press, 1988 (reverted)
English / US - Rutgers University Press, 1989 (reverted)
French - Albin Michel (LE MONDE N’EST PAS UN HAREM), 1991 (reverted)
German- Luchterhand (DER HAREM IS NICHT DIE WELT), 1988 (reverted)
Spanish- Ediciones del Oriente y del Mediterráneo (MARRUECOS A TRAVERS DE SUS MUJERES), 1991
THE FORGOTTEN QUEENS OF ISLAM
When Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988, many claimed that it was a blasphemous assault on Islamic tradition since no Muslim state, critics alleged, had ever been governed by a woman. But Fatema Mernissi examined fifteen centuries of Islamic history and discovered that the critics were wrong. Recovering the stories of fifteen Islamic queens, this remarkable exploration tells how they ascended the throne, how they governed and exercised their power, and how their forgotten reigns influence the ways in which politics is practiced in Islam today.
Orig. Edition: French - Albin Michel (SULTANES OUBLIÉES: FEMMES CHEFS D’ÉTAT EN ISLAM), 1994
Translations
Arabic – Le Fennec (SALTANAT MANSIAT), 2002
Dutch - De Geus, 1992 (via Albin Michel) (reverted)
English / UK - Polity Press, 1993 (via Albin Michel)
English / US - University of Minnesota Press, 1993; paper, 1994
French / Maghreb - Le Fennec, 1990
German - Luchterhand, 1991; Herder 2004 (HERSCHERINNEN UNTER DEM ISLAM) (reverted)
Indonesian - Mizan, 1998
Italian - Marietti Genes, 1992 (via Albin Michel); new edition, 2023
Korean – Huud, forthcoming)
Portuguese / Brazil - Editora Roca Nova Ltda (under its imprint Tabla), (forthcoming)
Spanish - El Aleph ex Muchnik (LAS SULTANAS OLVIDADAS), 1997, paper 2004
Turkish - CEP Kitaplarias, 1992 (via Albin Michel) (reverted)
Urdu - Nighat Khan, 1995 (reverted)
ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY: Fear of the Modern World
Is Islam compatible with democracy? Must fundamentalism win out in the Middle East, or will democracy ever be possible?
In this now-classic book, Fatema Mernissi explores the ways in which progressive Muslims--defenders of democracy, feminists, and others trying to resist fundamentalism--must use the same sacred texts as Muslims who use them for violent ends, to prove different views. Updated with a new introduction by the author written in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY shines new light on the people behind today's terrorist acts and raises provocative questions about the possibilities for democracy and human rights in the Islamic world. Essential reading for anyone interested in the politics of the Middle East today, ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY is as timely now as it was upon its initial, celebrated publication.
Orig. Edition: French - Albin Michel (LA PEUR-MODERNITE: LE CONFLIT ISLAM DÉMOCRATIE), 1992; new edition, 2010 under title ISLAM ET DÉMOCRATIE
Translations
Arabic – Le Fennec, (new edition forthcoming)
Dutch - De Geus (ISLAM EN DEMOCRATIE), 1993
English / UK - Virago, 1993 (reverted)
English / US - Addison Wesley/Perseus, 1992; paper, 1993; paper, with Introduction, 2002
French / Maghreb - Le Fennec, 1992; new edition 2019 under title ISLAM E DÉMOCRATIE
German - Luchterhand, 1993; Fischer, 1997; Herder (ISLAM UND DEMOKRATIE: DIE ANGST VOR DER MODERNE), with new Introduction, hardcover, 2002 (reverted)
Italian - Giunti (ISLAM E DEMOCRAZIA: LA PAURA DELLA MODERNITÀ), with new Introduction, paper, 2002 (reverted)
Japanese - Heibonsha, 2000 (reverted)
Spanish - Ediciones del Oriente y del Mediterráneo (EL MIEDO A LA MODERNIDAD: ISLAM Y DEMOCRACIA), 1992
L’AMOUR DANS LES PAYS MUSULMANS
Orig. Ed. French Magazine version in “Jeune Afrique”, Paris, 1984
Translations
Arabic – "Al Hub Fi Hadaratina al Islamiya" Ad-Dar al 'Alamiya, 1984; Le Fennec (new edition forthcoming)
French Magazine version - “L'Amour Dans les Pays Musulmans" published by "Jeune Afrique”, Paris, 1984
French/Maghreb –Le Fennec, 2007
French/France – Albin Michel, 2009 (updated version with addition of “Digital Islam” and new introduction)
Italian – Giunti (LE 51 PAROLE DELL’ AMORE), 2008 (reverted)
Spanish – Aguilar (EL AMORE EN EL ISLAM), 2008 (reverted)
SCHEHERAZADE GOES WEST: Different Cultures, Different Harems
Throughout my childhood, my grandmother Yasmina, who was illiterate and grew up in a harem, repeated that to travel is the best way to learn and to empower yourself. "When a woman decides to use her wings, she takes big risks," she would tell me, but she was convinced that if you didn't use them, it hurt....
Of all the lessons Mernissi learned from her grandmother -- whose home was, after all, a type of prison -- the most central was that the opportunity to cross boundaries was a sacred privilege. Indeed, in journeys both physical and mental, Mernissi has spent virtually all of her life traveling -- determined to "use her wings" and to renounce her gender's alleged legacy of powerlessness.
Bursting with the vitality of Mernissi's personality and of her rich heritage, SCHEHERAZADE GOES WEST reveals the author's unique experiences as a liberated, independent Moroccan woman faced with the peculiarities and unexpected encroachments of Western culture. Her often surprising discoveries about the conditions of and attitudes toward women around the world -- and the exquisitely embroidered amalgam of clear-eyed autobiography and dazzling meta-fiction by which she relates those assorted discoveries -- add up to a deliciously wry, engagingly cosmopolitan, and deeply penetrating narrative.
“Eploring traditions east and west, Mernissi employs the power of gentle humor to expose the foibles of both…..A funny,, sweet, wise, magical read by one of the very best writers we have.” (Arlie Hochschild)
“Brilliant and convincing,this is a provocative multicultural critique.” (Library Journal)
Orig. Edition: English /US - Washington Square Press, 2001; Pocket Books, paper, 2002
Translations
Arabic – Le Fennec/Centre Culturel Arabe (CHAHARAZADE TARHALO ILA AL GHAB), 2001; Le Fennec 2018
Catalan - Edicions 62 (L'HAREM OCCIDENTAL), 2001 (reverted)
Dutch - De Geus (DE EUROPESE HAREM), 2001 (reverted)
French - Albin Michel (LE HAREM ET L’OCCIDENT), 2001
French / Maghreb - Le Fennec, 2001
German - Herder (HAREM: WESTLICHE PHANTASIEN-ÖSTLICHE WIRKLICHKEIT), 2000 (reverted)
Italian - Giunti (L'HAREM E L'OCCIDENTE), 2000; Le Chiocciole ediation, Sept 2023
Portuguese - ASA Editores II (O HARÉM E O OCCIDENTE), 2001; edition combined with DREAMS OF TRESPASS (NASCI NUM HAREM), 2013 (reverted)
Spanish - Espasa Calpe (EL HARÉN EN OCCIDENTE), 2001
Swedish - Norstedts (SHAHRAZAD RESER VÄSTERUT), 2002 (reverted)
Turkish - Alfa Yaninlari (HAREM'DEN KAÇAN SEHRAZAT), 2001 (reverted)
Urdu – Shirkrat Gah, 2011 (reverted)
LES AÏT-DÉBROUILLE: ONG rurales du Haut-Atlas
Orig. Ed.: French/Maghreb: Le Fennec, 1998 (contribution to the World Bank Mediterranean Development Forum, Marrakech, May 1997); 2nd ed., Marsam, 2003 (reverted)
LES SINDBADS MAROCAINS
Orig. Ed: – French: Marsam, 2004 (reverted)
Adapted versions published by:
Catalan – Random Mondadori, 2005 (via Giunti/reverted)
Dutch – de Geus (SHEHERAZADES WEBLOG), 2008 (via Giunti/reverted)
Italian – Giunti (KARAWAN/DAL DESERTO AL WEB), 2004 (reverted)
As Mernissi said, “Dans ce livre, dont les héros sont dess gens modestes qui n’attiret guère l’attention des médias obsédés par les terrorists, décrit la métamorphose des jeunes du Haut Atlas et du désert en Sindbads virtuels, qui naviguent et cornrnuniquent grâce à l'internet. Ils ne pensent plus qu'à protéger les gazelles et les oiseaux menacés d'extinction et à arrêter la dégradation des sites préhistoriques. Ce livre fait suite à mon enquête sur les "Ait débrouille : ONG du Haut Atlas" et démontre que le Maroc, qui n'a pas de pétrole, a eu l'intelligence de miser sur le cerveau humain en jouant la combinaison gagnante.”
RUSES DE FEMMES
LES 50 NOMS D'AMOUR
Marsam, 2006
Marsam, 2004
ÉMOIS DE RAMADAN
LE JARDIN DES AMOREUX
Marsam, 2011
Marsam, 2015
Collection including Fatema Mernissi's "Samar, l'eloquence magique de la lune du Ramadan.
REFLEXIONS SUR LA “VIOLENCE” DES JEUNES
(Edited and with Introduction by Mernissi)
Orig. Editions: French & Arabic: Le Fennec, 2016. Spanish edition, Icaria, 2016
Spanish edition (Contributors: Khadija Alaoui, Abderrahim al Atri, Reda Dalil, Fatna Elbouih, Ahmed Ghayet, Youssef Madad, Hanane El Quadrhiri, Jallal Taoufiq.
UN LIBRO PARA LA PAZ – Asturias Prize Book
Orig. Edition: Spanish - El Aleph, 2004 (reverted)
WOMAN IN THE MUSLIM UNCONSCIOUS
Originally published under the pseudonym Fatna A Sabbah
Orig.edition French – Albin Michel l986 (La Femme Dans l’Inconscient Musulman); new edition, 2010
Translations
Arabic/Maghreb – Le Fennec, May 2021 (under pseudonym)
French/Mahgreb – Le Fennec, new edition, May 2021
Spanish – del Oriente, 2005 (reverted)
Turkish – Yayinlari, 1994 (reverted)
UK – Pergamon, 1995 (reverted)
A detailed expose of the elements in Islamic culture that combine to ingrain attributes toward women in Muslim societies. Mernissi throws a searching light on the way women are perceived in that society and on the centuries-old cultural documents that spread that perception. What emerges is a unique revelation of the elements of the Islamic heritage that form the accepted, unconscious image of women in Muslim society.
WOMEN’S REBELLION AND ISLAMIC MEMORY (articles)
Orig. Edition: German – Translated from a set of articles in English and French by Orlanda/Fischer (DIE VERGESSENE MACHT: FRAUEN IM WANDEL DER ISLAMISCHEN WELT); Fischer, paper, 1993 (reverted)
Translations
English / UK - Zed, 1996 (reverted)
Indonesian - Mizan, 1998 (reverted)
Japanese – Astral, 2003 (reverted)
Spanish - Icaria, 1996 (reverted)