Michele Rakotoson’s novel Ambatomanga was named the winner of Prix Orange du Livre en Afrique 2023 at a ceremony in Dakar, Senegal on Friday, May 12, 2023.
Prix Orange du Livre en Afrique (Orange Book Prize in Africa) was set up to reward a fiction text written in French by an African writer from a publishing house based on the continent in 2018. It is organised by the African Cultural Agency alongside the Orange Foundation, the French Institute, UNESCO, OIF, AFD and DHL. Previous winners have been Djaïli Amadou Amal, Youssouf Amine Elalamy, and Yamen Manai.
This year’s cycle of the festival started with the announcement of the finalists on March 14 from the 38 books presented by 29 publishing houses from 12 countries on the African continent. They were looked at by reading committees that selected the following five finalists;
- Les vies (multiples) d’Adam, Lamine Benallou (Algérie), Editions Frantz Fanon, Algérie.
- La nuit du doute, Bechir Garbouj (Tunisia), Demeter.
- Les dieux de la brousse ne sont pas invulnérables, Ibrahima Hane (Senegal), Editions L’Harmattan Sénégal,
- Safora, une vie de tribulations, Anzata Ouattara (Cote D’Ivoire), Editions Mouna.
- Ambatomanga, Michèle Rakotoson (Madagascar) Editions L’atelier des nomades, Maurice.
These titles were to be judged by a jury chaired by author and academic Veronique Tadjo alongside Yvan Amar (Radio France journalist), Kidi Bebey (Le Monde journalist, publisher and author, France), Yahia Belaskri (writer and journalist, Algeria), Mamadou Camara (novellist and president of the association “LesFRIDIS DU LIVRE”, Senegal ), Eugène Ebodé (writer, Cameroon), Prudentienne Houngnibo Gbaguidi (vice-president of the AILF, Benin), Valérie Marin la Meslée (journalist, Le Point, France), Nicolas Michel (journalist Jeune Afrique, France), Nétonon Noël Ndékéry (author, Chad), Gabriel Mwènè Okoundji (psychologist and poet, Congo), Ariane Poissonnier (RFI journalist, France), and Yamen Manai (2022 winner, Tunisia).
The winner was announced at a ceremony at the Salon International du Livre d’Abidjan in Cote D’Ivoire on Saturday. The winner is the Editions L’atelier des nomades, Maurice published Ambatomanga written by Michèle Rakotoson (Madagascar). The Madagasacan is a French teacher, journalist, playwright, and novelist who was awarded the Great Medal of Francophonie by the French Academy for her body of work in 2012. In her latest novel, Ambatomanga, silence and pain, she looks back on the colonial war in Madagascar through the intersecting story of two characters: Félicien Le Guen, a young Breton officer eager for adventure and Tavao, a young slave from ‘Ambatomanga who decides to join the fight. Under a moist and scorching heat, over the throbbing crossing of forests and swamps infested with mosquitoes, resounds the cry of these young soldiers crushed in the vice of a nascent colonization.
Speaking on social media after the award Michele Rakotoson said, “I have great pleasure in informing you that I have been awarded the Pola Prize 2023. The trophy is going home to Madagascar Thank you everyone for supporting me I really appreciate it.”
She received a cash prize of more than six million CFA francs, or ten thousand euros.
Leave a Reply