Salon International du Livre d’Abidjan 2025 Literary Awards

Fidèle Goulyzia, Serge Grah, and Nincemon Fallé won at the Salon International du Livre d’Abidjan 2025 literary awards on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

Salon international du Livre d’Abidjan (International Book Fair of Abidjan) has been organised annually by the Association of Publishers of Ivory Coast since 2010. The fifteenth edition of the fair with the theme “Books, Roots” was hosted with activities like readings, panels, performances, workshops, and loads more from May 6 – 10.

The festival kicked off with the announcement of the winners of the literary awards celebrating the best in writing in the country on May 6. The jury noted an improvement in literary and material quality in Côte d’Ivoire, a progress they encourage to continue to clean up Ivorian literature and raise it to international standards. The winners are;

Grand Prix National Bernard Dadié de Littérature 2025 (3 million CFA Francs)

Named for the late great Ivorian novelist, playwright, poet, and Minister of Culture Bernard Dadié, it is given to “the writers who give meaning and energy to national letters” in Côte d’Ivoire since 2014. Previous winners include Tiburce Koffi, Charles Nokan, Véronique Tadjo, and Josué Guébo.

• Winner: Malo-Woussou, Fidèle Goulyzia.

Goulyzia’s novel explores the post-war period and the presence of peacekeeping forces in zones of military or civil conflict. The story takes place in three African countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, and Libya. A Chadian police officer with the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire is caught up with his past, forty years later. Two children, he was unaware of the existence of resurface to disrupt his old age: a daughter, born from an affair with a minor at the time of the events in Côte d’Ivoire, and a son, returned from his adventure in Libya.

• Special mention: L’Odeur de Jasmin (English: The Scent of Jasmine), Abdalla
• Third Place: Moi, Maîtresse (English: Me, Mistress), Djeney Siby G

Prix National Bernard B Dadié du Jeune Écrivain 2025 (English: Bernard Dadié National Prize of Young Writer)

• Winner: Ces soleils ardents (English: These burning suns), Nincemon Fallé

Prix Jeanne de Cavally de Littérature Jeunesse 2025 (English: Jeanne de Cavally Prize for Children’s Literature)

• Winner: La princesse Lou Zawli, (English: Princess Lou Zawli) Serge Grah.