I Came For Couscous is an independent magazine that highlights unique voices and creative minds from Arab cultures and backgrounds while investigating the world through the prism of plural individual stories and the values of multi-culturalism and otherness.

Like the title, the magazine and its stories champion individuals—the “I” amid the vast impersonal “We”—in recognition of the need today to promote plural, singular narratives for the construction of a broader, contrasting narrative, in which the identity of the group would cease to usurp that of the individual.

The title also communicates action and motion—along with desire and curiosity—towards the Other. Couscous. A shared dish synonymous with communion and togetherness in multiple forms: personal bonding; communal diversity (because couscous varies from region to region); collective participation. In accordance with Moroccan tradition, we always keep a share of couscous for whoever comes by unexpectedly—a tradition whose values we find very beautiful and worthy of highlighting, because we need them more than ever.

And finally, the title embodies our offbeat and casual tone, which invokes humor to soften prejudices and preconceived ideas about so-called Arab cultures. Humor as the essential complement to depth, allowing us to play down the drama, to change the paradigm.

Described by its peers as “aesthetic and intelligent”, I Came For Couscous is an ambitious cultural project. The publication is now distributed by a network of major newsstands, bookshops, museum shops and online platforms around the world.

With beautiful design and carefully prepared articles, I Came For Couscous offers an eloquent, inspiring journey and initiation into a diverse and pluralistic culture. It is a valuable resource for all those who, connected and curious, explore the world around them with creativity and humanity.