Khalil Diallo, Tanella Boni, and Mbarek Ould Beyrouk won at the Festival International de Littérature de Dakar 2023 in Dakar, Senegal on Saturday, July 29, 2023.
In 2022, Festival International de Littérature de Dakar (Filid) (English: Dakar International Literary Festival) made its debut in venues in Senegal. It was attended by writers, literary critics, publishers, men and women of culture, students, and journalists from across Senegal, West Africa, and further afield. Read our report on that event by clicking here.
The festival, under director Abdoulaye Fodé Ndione, returned for its second run under the theme “Literary Heritage and contemporary writing.” With authors from the host country Senegal as well as Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, Mauritania, Brazil, Portugal, Lebanon, and other countries it ran from July 26 – 29. The guests included Blaise Ndala, Sami Tchak, Armand Gauz, Mariama Ndoye, Werewere Liking, Tanella Boni, Chab Touré, among others.
Like in the previous year, prizes were handed out to winners in three different categories. The winners for 2023 are;
Prix Abdoulaye Racine Senghor
The Senegalese novel prize
- l’odyssée des oubliés, Khalil Diallo (Senegal)
Other finalists
- Ethiou, Pedre Joe
- Calèche d’une demoiselle, Tabara Niang
Prix International De littéraire Cheikh Hamidou Kane
An award for a novel that has won several distinctions in honour of Senegalese writer Cheikh Hamidou Kane.
- Saara, Mbarek Ould Beyrouk (Mauritania)
Other finalists
- Des Villes et Des Hommes, Annie Ferret, Editions continents –
- Le Continent du Tout et du Presque Rien, Tchak Sami, Editons JC Lattès
Le Prix international de poésie Annette Mbaye d’Erneville
This award is designated for a female poet and is in honour of pioneering Senegalese writer Annette Mbaye d’Erneville.
- Le poème n’est pas un objet perdu, Tanella Boni (Cote D’Ivoire)
Responses
The Dakar International Book Festival honored me with the Abdoulaye Prize L’Harmattan Sénégal for the novel for l’odyssée des oubliés published at Racine Senghor editions. Immense joy. I dedicate this recognition to Ceerno, Khadija, my family (to you mom), to Senegal and its victims; to the forgotten, to Abdou Khadre MBODJ and Abdourahmane (Faruq), Badiene, and to my literary family.
Khalil Diallo
I have just received the International Prize for Literary Cheikh Hamidou Kane in Dakar for my novel Saara. I would like to thank here the fild International Literature Festival of Dakar and its inescapable president Abdoulaye Fode, the members of the jury, and the Senegalese government
Mbarek Ould Beyrouk
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