Mbarek Ould Beyrouk’s novel Saara was declared the winner of Prix Littéraire Les Afriques 2023 on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Prix Littéraire Les Afriques is awarded annually to an African or writer of African descent who has written fiction highlighting a human, societal, ideological, political, cultural, economic, or historical issue related to Africa or its diaspora. Prix Les Afriques, created by the Swiss lawyer Ngoãn Beti founded association La Cene Littéraire in 2015, gives exposure to African authors and authors of African descent. It has been won previously by Imbolo Mbue (2022), Fiston Mwanza Mujila (2021), Ayobami Adebayo (2020), Elnathan John (2019), Kei Miller (2018), Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin (2017) and Hemley Boum (2016).
The reading committee for 2023 had a preselection of many books published in the last year and the shortlist from those was announced on November 27. They then gave the shortlist to a jury chaired by Professor Ambroise Kom alongside Adelaide Fassinou (writer), Alphoncine Bouya (writer), Boubacar Boris Diop (writer), Hortense Sime (doctor), Josias Semujanga (literature teacher), Philippe Bonvin (writer and librarian), and Now Kane (journalist). This panel declared the winner to be;
- Saara, Mbarek Ould Beyrouk (éd. Elyzad, Mauritanie)
Mbarek Ould Beyrouk said of his win, “I just received the Les Afriques Literary Prize hosted every year by the Swiss Association La Cene Literary. I thank the prestigious jury who presided over this prize, and I salute my fellow writers who all would have deserved to win. I do not forget my publisher Elisabeth Daldoul and her valuable collaborator Valerie Pecastaings.”
He will receive a cash prize of CHF 6,000 and a work of art worth CHF 3,000 created and offered by the artist Momar Seck. There will also be a purchase of the rights to the award-winning novel by the publishing house Flore Zoa for its reissue and distribution free to young people in African countries where La CENE Littéraire operates.
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