''Monnè, outrages et defis'' is a novel by Ivorian author

Ahmadou Kourouma Ahmadou Kourouma (24 November 1927 – 11 December 2003) was an Ivorian novelist. Life The eldest son of a distinguished Malinké family, Ahmadou Kourouma was born in 1927 in Boundiali, Côte d'Ivoire. Raised by his uncle, he initially pursue ...

. It was first published in 1990 by Éditions du Seuil in its original language. In 1993, Mercury House published the English translation, ''Monnew,'' by

Nidra Poller Nidra Poller is an American writer who has lived in Paris since 1972. She has contributed to English-language publications such as ''The Wall Street Journal'', '' National Review'', '' FrontPage Magazine'', and ''The New York Sun''. Poller is al ...

. The word "monnew" is derived from the pre-existing Malinke term ''monnè'' and has a variety of meanings such as "humiliation, insult, outrage, contempt, fury," and more. It won the

Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire The Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire (one of the major literary prizes of Black Africa for Francophone Literature) is a literary prize presented every year by the ADELF, the Association of French Language Writers for a French original text ...

in 1990. The novel depicts how underdeveloped Africa was subjected to constant pillage by colonial France through a fictional land called Soba. They are a closed society that carries on elaborate ritualistic traditions. Their modes of living is disrupted with the arrival of French colonisers. The plot is built upon what the Djigui Keita and people of Soba endures within this period.

References

1989 novels Ivorian novels French-language novels Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire winners {{Coted'Ivoire-stub