By Omar Bihmidine
By Omar Bihmidine
Morocco World News
Sidi Ifni, December 2, 2012
It is now thanks to Facebook social networking that many writers and artists can ultimately reach the public. Before the advent of Facebook, no one knew who they were, what they produced and how valuable their works are. Neither did the artists know how to exhibit their productions and wait for the feedback of readers and art vultures.
In other words, they have been heroes and heroines without glory and recognition. They possessed great talents, but no one could recognize them in the real world. Alternatively, they finally have recourse to the virtual world where they identify with the public in a meaningful and interactive way.
Unlike before, writers can now know about the delight readers take in their works just through the number of ‘like’ clicks. Fleeing from isolation and nonchalance outside, many writers now post their articles and short stories on their Facebook walls. Some of them have even gone to set up pages of their own using their real names or pen names. And it is up to the navigators to judge their work by either pressing ‘like’ or posting a comment in which they express their feedback, attitudes, criticism and above all engage in genuine interaction. Such writers whose ambition is to become a house word or to be read, now find much solace and self-fulfillment in their contributions.
Compelled to share what they have produced virtually, writers and poets get to know their value in the literature field. For instance, the larger the number of the likes, the more confident they become about their literary lives. As an inspirer, Paulo Cohelo has now attained around 10 million page likes. Needless to say, he has attracted virtual readers because of the greatness of his literary works.
In emulation, novice writers are producing profusely and share as much as they can to draw the public’s attention to their work. Regardless of whether their work is of great note or not, what still is the most important is that such writers can know their weaknesses and work hard to redress them. Being accessible to a large number of remarks instantaneously is much easier in the virtual world than in the real one.
According to Norddine Mohaqiq, a Moroccan writer, the act of setting up a Facebook page and surfing the Internet is a new life that writers of today must lead if they are really determined to make their voices heard. Now that more Moroccan writers are logging into Facebook, this should be viewed as a golden opportunity for these writers to exchange ideas, to share their works, to comment on one another’s productions, and to keep abreast of the latest in the literature realm. Mohaqiq stresses that the lethargy that has characterized the circle of writers in Morocco for the last few years is now witnessing a revival.
In a similar vein, a number of artists now find it easier to usher in their paintings, sculptures, and drawings through the virtual world than through exhibitions. Mohamed Saidi has explained through MWN that he feels more uplifted with the use of Facebook. “Given the absence of exhibitions in Tafraout, I have no other choice but to resort to Facebook. Otherwise, my paintings will perish unnoticed as has been the case with those of my friends in other towns,” Saidi told MWN. “Compared to exhibitions, I am sure that Facebook allows me to interact with art vultures more easily,” Saidi added.
Surprisingly enough, several specialists in the Facebook administration have revealed that writing will sooner or later take on a more virtual aspect than a real one, particularly now that people spend more time reading on the screen. Here is one of the reasons why budding writers, poets and artists feel compelled to take the initiative and build their names. No doubt, transition from the real world to the virtual one can be deemed ‘far-fetched’. Think, for instance, of the first time books came into existence. It stirred controversy at first, but it has benefited mankind for centuries now. It is now believed that entering the virtual world will sooner or later follow the same track
