Where to Buy English-Language Books in Morocco

Morocco is a French-language book market. The English-language selection in physical bookstores is thin, expensive, and weighted toward classics rather than current releases. For English speakers who read regularly, this is a real friction. Here is how to solve it.

Physical Bookstores

Carrefour des Livres in Casablanca has the largest English-language section of any Moroccan bookstore, including current fiction, business, and classics. The American Bookstore in Casablanca, despite the name, has a smaller but curated selection. Librairie Cle in Rabat carries English textbooks and selected literary fiction. In Marrakech, Cafe du Livre has an attached English bookshop with a small but interesting selection. The major chain Carrefour (the supermarket, not the bookstore) carries a small selection of best-sellers in English.

Prices are 30 to 100 percent higher than UK or US prices because of import duties and limited supply. A new paperback that costs 12 GBP in London might cost 350 MAD (35 GBP) in Casablanca. Hardbacks are worse.

Libraries

The British Council libraries in Casablanca and Rabat are the best English-language libraries in the country. Free or low-cost membership. Includes recent fiction, non-fiction, magazines, and digital lending via OverDrive. The American Corner program (small libraries inside cultural centers in Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, and other cities) has smaller English collections oriented toward US-focused content. Both networks host author events and book clubs that are useful entry points into the English-reading community.

International Schools and Universities

If you have access through children at international schools or alumni status at universities, the libraries at the American School Casablanca, British International School, and Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane have substantial English-language collections. Some accept community members or alumni for limited borrowing.

Amazon and Ordering from Abroad

Amazon ships physical books to Morocco from Amazon UK and Amazon France. Delivery takes 1 to 3 weeks. Customs charges add roughly 20 to 30 percent on the declared value of books over 1,200 MAD. For shipments under that threshold, customs is usually waived. The practical strategy: order 1 to 3 books at a time to stay under the threshold. Used books from Amazon Marketplace sellers in the UK ship to Morocco for genuine bargains, though shipping costs can exceed book prices.

Kindle and Digital

A Kindle solves the English-language book problem completely. Buy any English title instantly, no shipping, no customs, prices match UK or US standard pricing. Kindle Unlimited (a subscription service) costs about 110 MAD/month and gives unlimited access to a large catalog. For audiobooks, Audible works normally in Morocco with a UK or US account. Spotify and Storytel also have audiobook libraries available.

For non-Kindle readers, the Apple Books and Kobo ecosystems work the same way. Project Gutenberg offers free public domain English literature. Library apps including Libby (linked to your home-country library card if you maintain one) provide free ebook borrowing.

Used Books and Book Exchanges

Several used bookshops in Casablanca and Marrakech medinas carry English titles, particularly thrillers, classics, and travel writing left behind by previous travelers. Prices are 40 to 150 MAD for paperbacks. Hostels and some cafes in Marrakech, Essaouira, and Taghazout maintain informal book exchange shelves. Drop a book, take a book. The selection is random but free.