The second edition of the African Book Fair opens its doors in Paris

Town hall of the 6th arrondissement of Paris where the African Book Fair takes place (Illustration image). © Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 4.0 Chabe

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The second edition of the African Book Fair opens Friday, March 17 for a period of three days in Paris, rich in activities. This event at the town hall of the 6th arrondissement of the capital illustrates the state of play of African literature, being the largest event of its kind in France. More than 200 authors and 60 publishers and booksellers participate in this fair.

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Yasmina Kadhra, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Djaïli, Amadou Amal, Nimrod, Fawzia Zouari and Eugène Ebodé, to name but a few, will be there. The management of the African Book Fair in Paris, presents this event as an opportunity to bring together African authors from the diaspora and those who come from Africa.

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On this year's show, we have a significant number of African countries that came, unlike the previous edition where we were in the middle of the Covid-19 period, explains the director of the show, Érick Monjour. This year, we have publishers who come from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, of course since it is the guest country of honor. Editors from Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. So we are really on a cultural plurality and I must say essentially francophone.

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One of the most important aspects of this fair is its openness to young people from the diaspora who are embarking on self-publishing. Among them, "there are nuggets," says Erick Monjour.

Guinean literature, in the spotlight, will be represented by writers such as the 2008 Renaudot Prize, Tierno Monénembo, the pioneer of the African Francophone novel Williams Sassine, or Mariama Barry, author of children's novels.

The fair also pays tribute this year to filmmaker Ousmane Sembène and commemorates the tenth anniversary of the death of Nelson Mandela, a politician above all, but also a man of literature.

From Friday 17 to 19 March 2023, see you at the African Book Fair of Paris which will be held at the town hall of the 6th arrondissement. Focus on African literature with more than 200 authors and 50 publishers. pic.twitter.com/686ii11hxr

— Salon dulivreafricaindeparis (@salondulivreaf2) February 14, 2023

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  • France
  • Paris
  • Books
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  • Culture
  • Culture Africa
  • Guinea