Khalid Lyamlahy’s novel Évocation d’un Mémorial à Venise won Prix Ethiophile 2024 on Monday, September 30, 2024.
Prix Ethiophile is an annual literary prize that rewards French-speaking, African, or Caribbean texts founded in 2015. The prize worth €1,000 alternates between the novel, poetry, theatre, and essay genres. Previous winners have been Valérie Cadignan, Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse, Gauz, Véronique Kanor, Marc-Alexandre Oho Bambé, Makenzy Orcel, and Ronald C. Paul.
The jury for 2024 featured President Pierre Brunel, member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, University Professor, Paris-Sorbonne and Marie-José Hourantier, Africanist, anthropologist, university professor, École Normale Supérieure d’Abidjan, coordinator of the prize in Abidjan who takes the role of vice-president. Other members from a variety of professions from actors, lecturers, poets, and translators are Valérie Faranton, Florence de Rougemont, Frédéric Almaviva, Anne-Lise Blanchard, Jean Derive, Christiane Fioupou, Alexandre Poussin, Béatrice N’Guessan Larroux. Maryse Condé was an honorary member.
They revealed the shortlist on Sunday, April 14 before the winner was revealed yesterday. The winning text which was voted unanimously is
- Khalid Lyamlahy, Évocation d’un Mémorial à Venise, Présence Africaine
Khalid Lyamlahy said, “My novel Évocation d’un Mémorial à Venise has been crowned by Prix Ethiophile which awards literary works from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Indian Ocean every year. Many thanks to the members of the jury for this beautiful award, to my publishing house Présence Africaine, and to those who accompanied, supported, and believed in this book. Congratulations to my brothers and sisters finalists of the prize: Philippe Pango, Nadia Chonville, Kohndo, Sami Tchak. I am particularly touched by the trajectory of this memorial and the interest it continues to evoke. Thank you all for your encouragement and support. A moving thought to Pateh’s memory and all the refugees who inspired the writing of this book.”
Khalid Lyamlahy also received a special mention at the Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie 2024 for the same text.
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