Véronique Tadjo

**Véronique Tadjo** (born 1955) be a writer, poet, novelist, den artist wey komot Côte d'Ivoire. She live den work insyd chaw countries within de African continent den diaspora, she dey feel einself to be pan-African, for a way wey dey reflect insyd de subject matter, imagery den allusions of ein work.

## Biography
### Early years den education
Dem born am insyd Paris, France, Véronique Tadjo be de daughter of an Ivorian civil servant den a French painter den sculptor. Dem bring am up insyd Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, she travel widely plus ein family.

Tadjo plete ein BA degree for de University of Abidjan den ein doctorate for de Sorbonne insyd African-American Literature and Civilization. Insyd 1983, she go Howard University insyd Washington, D.C., for a Fulbright research scholarship top.

### Career
Insyd 1979, Tadjo choose make she teach English for de Lycée Moderne de Korhogo (secondary school) insyd de North of Côte d'Ivoire. She subsequently cam turn a lecturer insyd de English department for de University of Abidjan til 1993.

Insyd 1984, she publish ein first book of poetry, *Latérite / Red Earth*, wey she win a literary prize from de Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique. Na dem include Writing by Tadjo insyd de 1992 anthology *Daughters of Africa*, wey Margaret Busby edit am.

Insyd 1998, she participate insyd de project "Rwanda: Ecrire par devoir de mémoire" (Rwanda: Writing for the sake of memory) plus a group of African writers wey travel go Rwanda make dem testify to de Rwandan genocide den ein aftermath. Na ein book *L'Ombre d'Imana* (2000) emerge from ein time insyd Rwanda.

Insyd de past few years, na she facilitate workshops insyd writing den illustrating kiddies dema books insyd Mali, Benin, Chad, Haiti, Mauritius, French Guiana, Burundi, Rwanda, de United States, den South Africa. Insyd 2006 she participate insyd de fall residency of de International Writing Program for de University of Iowa.

Na Tadjo live insyd Paris, Lagos, Mexico City, Nairobi den London. Na she base insyd Johannesburg after 2007 as head of French Studies for de University of the Witwatersrand.

## Awards den honours
Tadjo receive de Literary Prize of L'Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique insyd 1983 den de UNICEF Prize insyd 1993 for *Mamy Wata and the Monster*, wich na dem sanso choose as one of Africa ein 100 Best Books of de 20th Century, one of four kiddies dema books per dem select.

Insyd 2005, Tadjo win de Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire wey insyd 2016 de Bernard Dadié national grand prize for literature. Na ein 2021 book *In the Company of Men* win de *Los Angeles Times* Book Prize for Fiction.

Insyd a June 2024 graduation ceremony for de University of St Andrews, na dem award Tadjo an honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt).

## Works

### Poetry

* *Latérite* (Éditions Hatier "Monde noir Poche", 1984). Bi-lingual edition, *Red Earth – Latérite*; Peter S. Thompson translate am (Washington University Press, 2006)
* *A vol d'oiseau* (Éditions Harmattan; 1986); Wangui wa Goro translate am plus de title *As The Crow Flies* (Heinemann African Writers Series, 2001)
* *A mi-chemin* (Éditions Harmattan, 2000)

### Novels

* *Le Royaume aveugle* (Éditions Harmattan, 1991); Janis Mayes translate am as *The Blind Kingdom* (Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2008)
* *Champs de bataille et d'amour* (Éditions Présence Africaine; Les Nouvelles Éditions Ivoiriennes, 1999)
* *L'ombre d'Imana: Voyages jusqu'au bout du Rwanda*, Actes Sud, 2000); Veronique Wakerley translate am as *The Shadow of Imana: Travels in the Heart of Rwanda* (Heinemann AWS, 2002)
* *Reine Pokou* (Actes Sud, 2005); Amy B. Reid translate am as *Queen Pokou* (Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2009)
* *Loin de mon père* (Actes Sud, 2010); Amy B. Reid translate am as *Far from My Father* (University of Virginia Press/CARAF, 2014)
* *In the Company of Men* (Other Press, 2021, ); John Cullen translate am

### Kiddies dema books

* *La Chanson de la vie* (1990)
* *Lord of the Dance: An African Retelling* (*Le Seigneur de la Danse*; Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes, 1993; 1988)
* *Grandma Nana* (*Grand-Mère Nanan*; Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes, 1996; 2000)
* *Masque, raconte-moi* (Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes)
* *Si j´étais roi, si j´étais reine* (Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes); translated by the author as *If I Were a King, If I Were a Queen* (London: Milet Publishing, 2002)
* *Mamy Wata et le Monstre* (*Mamy Wata and the Monster*) (Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes, 1993; Prix UNICEF, 1993; bi-lingual edition London: Milet Publishing, 2000)
* *Le Grain de Maïs Magique* (Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes, 1996)
* *Le Bel Oiseau et la Pluie* (Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes, 1998)
* *Nelson Mandela: "Non à L'Apartheid"* (Actes Sud Junior, 2010)
* *Ayanda, la petite fille qui ne voulait pas grandir* (Actes Sud Junior, 2007; Nouvelles Editions Ivoiriennes/CEDA)

## Read further
* Tim Steckler, "Rootedness and Openness in The Life and Works of Véronique Tadjo (b. 1955)", South African History Project. Retrieved 12 May 2022.

## References


## External links

* Véronique Tadjo official website
* African-writing.com interview with Véronique Tadjo
* "Véronique Tadjo: Discussion with an African Voice", IntoFrench.org
* Webcast at the Library of Congress, 17 October 2014.