The Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire (one of the major literary prizes of Black Africa for Francophone Literature) is a

literary prize A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Man ...

presented every year by the ADELF, the Association of French Language Writers for a French original text from

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

. It was originally endowed with 2,000

french francs The franc (; , ; sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the (FF), was a currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money. It ...

Winners

* 1961:

Aké Loba Gérard Aké Loba (15 August 1927 in Abobo, in the Abobo Baoule neighborhood – 3 August 2012 in Aix-en-Provence, France) was an Ivorian diplomat and writer. He won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 1961. He was also a member of ...

(

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

) for ''

Kocumbo, l'étudiant noir is a novel by Ivorian author Aké Loba. 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 ...

'' * 1962:

Cheikh Hamidou Kane Cheikh Hamidou Kane (born 2 April 1928) is a Senegalese writer best known for his 1961 novel ''L'Aventure ambiguë'' (''Ambiguous Adventure''), about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a Fulani boy who goes to study i ...

(

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

) for ''

L'Aventure ambiguë ''L'Aventure ambiguë'' (''Ambiguous Adventure'') is a novel by Senegalese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane, first published in 1961, about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a boy from the Diallobé region of Senegal who go ...

'' * 1963: Jean Ikelle Matiba (

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

) for '' Cette Afrique-là'' * 1964:

Birago Diop Birago Ismaël Diop (11 December 1906 – 25 November 1989) was a Senegalese poet, storyteller, veterinarian, and diplomat whose work restored general interest in African folktales and was a major contribution to the Négritude literary movement. ...

(Senegal) for '' Contes et Lavanes'' * 1965:

Bernard Dadié Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern ...

(Côte d'Ivoire) for ''

Patron de New-York ''Patron de New-York'' is a novel by Ivorian author Bernard Dadié. 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 ...

'' * 1965:

Seydou Badian Kouyaté Seydou Badian Kouyaté (April 10, 1928 – December 28, 2018) was a Malian writer and politician. He wrote the lyrics to the Malian national anthem, " Le Mali". Early life and education Born in Bamako, Kouyaté studied medicine at the University ...

(

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

) for '' Les Dirigeants africains face à leurs peuples'' * 1966: Olympe Bhêly-Quenum (

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

) for '' Le Chant du lac'' * 1967:

Francis Bebey Francis Bebey (, 15 July 1929 in Douala, Cameroon – 28 May 2001 in Paris, France) was a Cameroonian musicologist, writer, composer, and broadcaster. Early life Francis Bebey was born in Douala, Cameroon, on July 15, 1929. Bebey attended college ...

(Cameroon) for '' Le fils d'Agatha Moudio'' * 1967: Francois Evembe (Cameroon) for ''

Sur la terre en passant Sur, SUR or El Sur may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Sur'' (film), a 1988 Argentine film directed by Fernando Solanas * ''Sur'', a 1970 Mexican film directed by Gabriel Retes * ''El Sur'' (film), a 1983 film by Víctor Erice, ...

'' * 1967:

Jean Pliya Jean Pliya (July 21, 1931 – May 14, 2015) was a Beninese playwright and short story writer. Life Born in what was then Dahomey, Pliya was educated at the University of Dakar and then the University of Toulouse. He graduated from the second i ...

(Benin) for '' Kondo, le requin'' * 1968:

(Côte d'Ivoire) for ''

La ville où nul ne meurt is a novel by Ivorian author Bernard Dadié, originally published in the ''Présence Africaine''. 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 ...

'' * 1968:

(Cameroon) for '' Le Fils d'Agatha Moudio'' * 1969:

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 pursued ...

(Côte d'Ivoire) for ''

Les Soleils des indépendances ''Les Soleils des indépendances'' (''The Suns of Independence'') is the first novel by Ivorian author Ahmadou Kourouma. It won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 1969. The title is a play on words involving the meaning of the Manin ...

'' * 1969: Guy Menga (

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...

) for ''

La Palabre stérile LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

'' * 1971:

Boubou Hama Boubou Hama (1906 – 29 January 1982) was a Nigerien writer, historian, and politician. He was President of the National Assembly of Niger under former President of Niger, Hamani Diori.

(

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

) for '' Kotia Nima'' * 1971:

Massa Makan Diabaté Massa Makan Diabaté (June 12, 1938 – January 27, 1988) was a Malian historian, author, and playwright. Biography Born in 1938 in Kita, Mali, Massa Makan Diabaté was the descendant of a long line of West African poets ( griots). His uncle, K ...

(Mali) for '' Janjon'' * 1971: L'abbé Mviena (Cameroon) for '' L'Univers culturel et religieux du peuple Béti'' * 1972:

Henri Lopès Henri Lopes (12 September 1937 – 2 November 2023) was a Congolese writer, diplomat, and politician. He was Prime Minister of Congo-Brazzaville from 1973 to 1975, and served as Congo-Brazzaville's Ambassador to France from 1998 to 2016. Earl ...

(

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

) for '' Tribaliques'' * 1973: Alioun Fantoure (

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

) for '' Le Cercle des tropiques'' * 1974:

Amadou Hampâté Bâ Amadou Hampâté Bâ (, 1900/1901 – 15 May 1991) was a Malian writer, historian, and ethnologist. He was an influential figure in the twentieth-century African literature and cultural heritage. A champion of Africa's oral tradition and tr ...

(Mali) for '' L'Étrange Destin de Wangrin'' * 1975: Étienne Yanou (Cameroon) for '' L'Homme Dieu de Bisso'' * 1976: Aouta Keita (Mali) for '' Femmes d'Afrique'' * 1977: Sory Camara (Guinea) for '' Gens de la parole: Essai sur les griots malinké'' * 1978: Idé Oumarou (Niger) for '' Gros plan'' * 1979: Lamine Diakhate (Senegal) for '' Chalys d'Harlem'' * 1980:

Aminata Sow Fall Aminata Sow Fall (born April 27, 1941) is a Senegalese-born author. While her native language is Wolof, her books are written in French. She is considered "the first published woman novelist from francophone Black Africa". Life She was born in ...

(Senegal) for ''

La grève des Bàttu ''La Grève des bàttu'' () is the second novel by Aminata Sow Fall, published in Dakar, Senegal, in 1979 by Nouvelles Éditions Africaines. In 1980, the book won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire. An English-language translation by Do ...

'' * 1981: Jean-Marie Adiaffi (Côte d'Ivoire) for '' La carte d'identité'' * 1982:

Frédéric Titinga Pacéré Frédéric and Frédérick are the French language, French versions of the common male given name Frederick (given name), Frederick. They may refer to: In artistry: * Frédéric Back, Canadian award-winning animator * Frédéric Bartholdi, French ...

(

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...

) for '' La poésie des griots : poèmes pour l'Angola'' * 1982:

Mariama Bâ Mariama Bâ (April 17, 1929 – August 17, 1981) was a Senegalese author and feminist, whose two French-language novels were both translated into more than a dozen languages. Born in Dakar, Senegal, Dakar, Senegal, she was raised a Muslim. Her ...

(Senegal) for ''

Un Chant écarlate The United Nations (UN) is the global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among sta ...

'' * 1982: Yodi Karone (Cameroon) for '' Nègre de paille'' * 1983: Sony Labou Tansi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) for '' L'Anté-peuple'' * 1984:

(Senegal) * 1985: Modibo Sounkalo Keita (Mali) for '' L'archer bassari'' * 1985:

Edem Kodjo Édouard Kodjovi "Edem" Kodjo (May 23, 1938 – April 11, 2020), was a Togolese politician and diplomat. He was Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity from 1978 to 1983; later, in Togo, he was a prominent opposition leader after t ...

(

Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...

) for '' Et demain l'Afrique'' * 1986:

Jean-Pierre Makouta-Mboukou Jean-Pierre Makouta-Mboukou (17 July 1929 – 9 October 2012) was a Congolese politician, academic, novelist and playwright. For his abundant and eclectic work his biographers have called him the “Congolese Victor Hugo” and the “baobab of Co ...

( Congo) for '' La Critique littéraire'' * 1986: Bolga Baenga (Congo) for '' Cannibale'' * 1986:

Tierno Monénembo Thierno Saïdou Diallo, usually known as Tierno Monénembo (born 1947 in Porédaka), is a Francophone Guinean novelist and biochemist. Born in Guinea, he later lived in Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, and finally France since 1973. He has written eigh ...

(Guinea) for '' Les écailles du ciel'' * 1987:

Jean-Baptiste Tati Loutard Jean-Baptiste Tati Loutard (15 December 1938 – 4 July 2009) was a Congolese politician and poet. Having previously served as Minister of Higher Education and Minister of Arts and Culture, he was Minister of Hydrocarbons in the government of Co ...

(

) for '' Le Récit de la mort'' * 1988:

Emmanuel Dongala Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala (born 1941) is a Congolese chemist and novelist. He was born in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, in 1941. He was Richard B. Fisher Chair in Natural Sciences at Bard College at Simon's Rock until 2014. As a chemist, hi ...

(

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

) for '' Le feu des origines'' * 1989: Victor Bouadjio (France) for '' Demain est encore loin'' * 1990:

(Democratic Republic of the Congo) * 1990:

(Côte d'Ivoire) for '' Monnè, outrages et defis'' * 1991:

(Mali) for '' Amkullel, l'enfant peul'' and '' L'empire peul du Macina'' * 1991: Kama Sywor Kamanda (Democratic Republic of the Congo) for '' La nuit des griots'' * 1992: Patrick Ilboudo (Burkina Faso) for '' Le héraut têtu'' * 1993: Maurice Bandaman (Côte d'Ivoire) for '' Le fils de la femme male'' * 1994: Calixthe Beyala (Cameroon) for '' Maman a un amant'' * 1995:

(Democratic Republic of the Congo) * 1995: Sylvain Ntari-Bemba (Democratic Republic of the Congo) pour '' Reves portatifs'' Zaire * 1996: Abdourahman A. Waberi (

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

) * 1996:

Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor ( , , ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese politician, cultural theorist and poet who served as the first president of Senegal from 1960 to 1980. Ideologically an African socialist, Senghor was one ...

(Senegal) for '' Anthologie de la nouvelle poesie negre et malgache de langue francaise'' * 1997: Daniel Biyaoula (

) for '' L'impasse'' * 1998: Gaston-Paul Effa (Cameroon) for ''Mâ'' * 1999:

Alain Mabanckou Alain Mabanckou (born 24 February 1966) is a novelist, journalist, poet, and academic, a French citizen born in the Republic of the Congo, he is currently a Professor of Literature at UCLA. He is best known for his novels and non-fiction writing ...

(Republic of the Congo) for '' Bleu-Blanc-Rouge (novel)'' * 2000:

Ken Bugul Ken Bugul (born 1947) is the pen name of Senegalese Francophone novelist Mariètou Mbaye Biléoma.'Bugul, Ken', in Simon Gikandi (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of African Literature''. Routledge; 2002. In the Wolof language, her pen name means "one who i ...

(Benin) for '' Riwan ou le chemin de sable'' * 2001:

Kossi Efoui Kossi Efoui (born 1962 in Anfoin) is a Togolese writer, playwright, and novelist. Efoui was born in Anfoin, a village in the Maritime Region of Togo, studied philosophy at the University of Lomé, and obtained a master's degree in philosophy fr ...

(Togo) for '' La Fabrique de cérémonies'' * 2002:

Patrice Nganang Alain Patrice Nganang (born 1970) is an American writer, poet and teacher of Cameroonian origin, a member of the Bamileke people. He authored the poetry collections elobi (1995) and Apologie du Vandale (2006). As a literature scholar, his research ...

(Cameroun) for '' Temps de chien (Le Serpent à Plumes)'' * 2003: Kangni Alem (Togo) for '' Cola Cola jazz'' * 2004: Sami Tchak (Togo) for '' Littérature et engagement: Mongo Beti, un écrivain conscient de son devoir envers son peuple?'' and '' Togoo: la démocratie introuvable'' * 2005:

Véronique Tadjo Véronique Tadjo (born 1955) is a writer, poet, novelist, and artist from Ivory Coast, Côte d'Ivoire. Having lived and worked in many countries within the African continent and African diaspora, diaspora, she feels herself to be Pan-Africanism, ...

(Côte d'Ivoire) * 2005: Mahamoudou Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso) * 2006: Edem Awumey (Togo) for '' Port Mélo'' * 2007: Bessora (

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

) for '' Cueillez-moi jolis Messieurs...'' * 2008: Jean Divassa Nyama (Gabon) for '' Vocation de Dignité'' * 2009: In Koli Jean Bofane for '' Mathématiques congolaises'' * 2010: Gabriel Mwéné Okoundji (Republic of the Congo) for '' L’äme blessée d’un éléphant noir'' * 2011:

Léonora Miano Léonora Miano (born 1973, in Douala) is a Cameroonian author. Biography Léonora Miano was born in Douala in Cameroon. She moved to France in 1991, where she first settled in Valenciennes and then in Nanterre to study American Literature. She p ...

(Cameroon) for ''Blues pour l’Afrique'' and ''Ces âmes chagrines'' * 2012: Venance Konan (Côte d'Ivoire) for ''Edem Kodjo, un homme, un destin'' * 2013: Augustin Emane (Gabon / France) for ''Docteur Schweitzer, une icône africaine'' * 2014:

Eugène Ébodé Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Hemley Boum Hemley Boum (born 1973) is a Cameroonian novelist. She has received a number of notable awards for her novels, including the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire, the and the Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma. Her novels have been translated into Dutch a ...

(Cameroon) for ''Les maquisards'' * 2016:

Blick Bassy Blick Bassy is a Bassa singer-songwriter from Cameroon. Bassy writes his songs in his native language, Bassa. His song "Kiki", from ''Akö'', featured as the theme song for the worldwide launch of the iPhone 6 in 2015. Early life Bassy was born ...

(Cameroon) for ''Le Moabi Cinéma'' * 2017: Aristide Tarnagda (Burkina Faso) for ''Terre rouge'' * 2018: Timba Bema (Cameroon) for ''Les seins de l’amante'' and Armand Gauz (Côte d'Ivoire) for ''Camarade Papa'' * 2019:

Hemley Boum Hemley Boum (born 1973) is a Cameroonian novelist. She has received a number of notable awards for her novels, including the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire, the and the Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma. Her novels have been translated into Dutch a ...

(Cameroon) for ''Les jours viennent et passent'' * 2022:

Noël Nétonon Ndjékéry Noël Nétonon Ndjékéry, born 25 December 1956 in Moundou, is a Demographics of Chad, Chadian and Swiss people, Swiss writer. With his work, he aims to "bring to all continents his sub-Saharan way of looking, feeling and speaking about the world ...

(

Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...

) for ''Il n'y a pas d'arc-en-ciel au paradis'' * 2023: Dibakana Mankessi (Republic of the Congo) for ''Psychanalyste de Brazzaville''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Prix Litteraire D'afrique Noire * Awards established in 1961 French-language literary awards African literary awards French literary awards