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Edition 50 (1996) Winner
Abdourahman A. Waberi
アブドゥラフマン・ワベリ
Abdourahman A. Waberi
Aliases:
Cabdiraxmaan Waaberi / Abdourahman Waberi
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1965-07-20 （Djibouti City, Djibouti）
- Nationality
- Djiboutian
- Languages
- Somali, English, French
- Residence History
- Caen, France (lived mostly since 1985) → Berlin, Germany (DAAD residency 2006–2007) → Rome, Italy (Villa Medici fellow) → United States (visiting fellow/professor positions) → Innsbruck, Austria (visiting professor 2012) → Bern, Switzerland (visiting professor Fall 2023)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, essayist, poet, short-story writer, academic / teacher, literary critic
- Active Years
- 1994-
- Memberships
- PEN France (associated), Lettre Ulysses International Jury (member), International Dublin Literary Award (jury member)
- Nominations
- Caine Prize finalist (2000), Best Translated Book Award finalist (2013)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University in France (studied English literature, institution unspecified) | — | English Literature | — | 1985-不詳 | France |
University in France (studied English literature, institution unspecified)
English Literature
Period:
1985-不詳
Country:
France
Went to France in 1985 to study English literature. Specific degree and graduation year not specified in sources.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Prix Henri Cornélus | Le Pays sans ombre (The Land Without Shadows) | — | Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium | 受賞 |
| 1994 | Prix Albert Bernard | Le Pays sans ombre (The Land Without Shadows) | — | Academy of Overseas Sciences | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire | Cahier nomade | — | Organizers (award for Francophone African literature) | 受賞 |
| 1997 | Prix « Mandat pour la liberté » (PEN France) | — | — | PEN France | 受賞 |
| 1997 | Festival du Premier Roman de Chambéry (collective prize) | Balbala | — | Festival du Premier Roman de Chambéry | 受賞（団体） |
| 2000 | Caine Prize | — | — | Caine Prize for African Writing | 最終候補 |
| 2004 | Prix littéraire de la Ville de Caen (jury lycéen) | — | — | City of Caen (youth jury) | 受賞（若年層選考） |
| 2006 | DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program (guest) | — | — | DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) | 招聘（フェロー） |
| 2006 | Stefan-George-Preis | In the United States of Africa | — | Heinrich-Heine-University | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Prix Louis-Guilloux | La Divine Chanson (The Divine Song) | — | Prix Louis-Guilloux organizers | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Best Translated Book Award (finalist) | Transit | — | Best Translated Book Award | 最終候補 |
Prix Henri Cornélus
1994
Work:
Le Pays sans ombre (The Land Without Shadows)
Organization:
Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium
Result:
受賞
Prix Albert Bernard
1994
Work:
Le Pays sans ombre (The Land Without Shadows)
Organization:
Academy of Overseas Sciences
Result:
受賞
Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
1996
Work:
Cahier nomade
Organization:
Organizers (award for Francophone African literature)
Result:
受賞
Prix « Mandat pour la liberté » (PEN France)
1997
Organization:
PEN France
Result:
受賞
Festival du Premier Roman de Chambéry (collective prize)
1997
Work:
Balbala
Organization:
Festival du Premier Roman de Chambéry
Result:
受賞（団体）
Caine Prize
2000
Organization:
Caine Prize for African Writing
Result:
最終候補
Prix littéraire de la Ville de Caen (jury lycéen)
2004
Organization:
City of Caen (youth jury)
Result:
受賞（若年層選考）
DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program (guest)
2006
Organization:
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
Result:
招聘（フェロー）
Stefan-George-Preis
2006
Work:
In the United States of Africa
Organization:
Heinrich-Heine-University
Result:
受賞
Prix Louis-Guilloux
2015
Work:
La Divine Chanson (The Divine Song)
Organization:
Prix Louis-Guilloux organizers
Result:
受賞
Best Translated Book Award (finalist)
2013
Work:
Transit
Organization:
Best Translated Book Award
Result:
最終候補
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Transit
2003 NovelExplores characters facing movement, exile and borders; examines globalization and questions of identity.
migrationexileidentityborders
Translations
- English translation: David and Nicole Ball (Indiana University Press, 2012)
Moisson de crânes (Harvest of Skulls)
2000 NovelA novel that frames human fate against violence and the weight of history.
violencehistorymemory
Translations
- English translation: Dominic Richard David Thomas (Indiana University Press, 2016)
La Divine Chanson (The Divine Song)
2015 NovelInterweaves religious and social themes to portray tensions between the individual and community.
religioncommunitypower
Translations
- English translation: David and Nicole Ball (Seagull Books, 2020)
Balbala
1998 NovelTakes its name from a district in Djibouti; an early novel about urban margins, poverty and hope.
urban lifemarginalizationpoverty
Pourquoi tu danses quand tu marches? (Why Do You Dance When You Walk?)
2019 NovelA novel that addresses corporeality, rhythm and the experience of beings on the move, with poetic elements.
corporealityrhythmmovement
Translations
- English translation: David and Nicole Ball (Cassava Republic Press, 2022)
Bibliography
- Le Pays sans ombre (1994)
- Cahier nomade (1996)
- Balbala (1998)
- Moisson de crânes (2000)
- Rift routes rails: variations romanesques (2001)
- Transit (2003)
- Aux États-Unis d'Afrique (2006)
- Passage des larmes (2009)
- La Divine Chanson (2015)
- Pourquoi tu danses quand tu marches? (2019)
- Dis-moi pour qui j’existe? (2022)
- Poetry and other works (Les nomades, Mon nom est aube, etc.)
Translations of Works
- Transit — English translation (David and Nicole Ball, 2012)
- Moisson de crânes — English translation (Dominic R. D. Thomas, 2016)
- La Divine Chanson — English translation (David and Nicole Ball, 2020)
- Pourquoi tu danses quand tu marches? — English translation (David and Nicole Ball, 2022)
- Selected poetry translations into English by Nancy Naomi Carlson
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- allegorical and fragmentary narrationpoetic and highly symbolic expressionmix of social/political realism and elements of the fantastic
- Recurring Motifs
- journeyexile / migrationborders and boundariesdesert and sealanguage and identity
Legacy
Recognized as one of the prominent voices in Francophone African literature, Waberi's works on migration, exile and globalization have achieved international recognition. His books have been translated into multiple languages and he has contributed to academic and cultural exchange through teaching and fellowships.
Trivia
- His work has been translated into more than ten languages.
- In 2005 he was chosen among "50 Writers of the Future" by the French magazine Lire.
- He has held several international fellowships, including DAAD and Villa Medici.