Azza Filali receives Prix Ivoire for African Literature 2024

Azza Filali received Prix Ivoire for African Literature 2024 at a ceremony in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

Prix Ivoire for African Literature in Francophone Expression or simply Prix Ivoire is a literary award created by Akwaba Culture, an Ivorian law association in 2008. It rewards works published or translated into French relating to African Literature, produced by African writers or publishers established on the continent or the diaspora. Open to writers from Africa and its Diasporas, the winner gets a two million CFA francs (about 3,000 euros) cash prize, a trophy, and attends the Geneva Book Fair. It is sponsored by the Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of Culture, Francophonie the International Organization of La Francophonie, the French Embassy in Abidjan, and the Librairie de France Group of Ivory Coast. Previous winners have been Jennifer Richard, Sami Tchak , Blaise Ndala , Isabelle Rochet , Gauz (Armand), Johary Ravaloson, Marijosé Alie, Kettly Mars, Bahaa Trabelsi , Hemley Boum , Mariama N’doye, Frédéric Grah Mel, Elisabeth Ewombè-Moundo, Tiburce Koffi , and Racine Kane.

The winner for this year, the novel Malentendues published by Éditions Elyzad and written by Tunisian writer and doctor Azza Filali, was announced by a jury chaired by writer and playwright Werewere-Liking on Thursday, October 17. A special mention was given to Gabonese Charline Effah for her novel, Les Femmes de Bidibidi published by Emmanuel Colas.

The winner was feted at a ceremony in Hotel Les Vallons in Cocody-Vallons, Abidjan. In attendance at the event were the Akwaba Culture team led by its President Isabelle Kassi-Fofana, the event guest of honour Kidi Bebey the daughter of the famous writer, Francis Bebey and a columnist at Journal Le Monde, Gisèle Chatelain, Director of the Book Industry and Promotion of Reading, representing the Ivorian Minister of Culture and de la Francophonie, and Tunisian ambassador to Cote D’Ivoire Zine El Abidine Terras.

Here are images from the ceremony courtesy of Akwaba Culture.