Defining Identity in Dialogue: Marked Intertextuality in Saïd el Kadaoui’s Radical(es)

Abstract: This article examines Saïd El Kadaoui’s Radical(es). Una reflexión sobre la identidad (2020) through the lenses of marked intertextuality and polyphony. I argue that the essay’s extensive use of citations is a central stylistic and argumentative strategy. El Kadaoui explores the complexities of identity formation among descendants of Muslim migrants in Europe by engaging in a dialogical interplay with diverse thinkers. In doing so, he constructs a hybrid textual space that both reflects and performs the multiple, fluid roots of identity he advocates. Drawing on poststructuralist and postcolonial theories, this study proposes that Radical(es) conceptualizes authorship as a work of compilation and juxtaposition of other voices. Through marked intertextuality, El Kadaoui creates an intellectual community of like-minded writers in which he seeks to position himself. Consequently, the article offers insights into the literary production of generation-1.5 authors in contemporary Catalan contexts and highlights the significance of intertextual writing within El Kadaoui’s distinctive style.