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Ahmadou Kourouma

アフマドゥ・クルマ

Ahmadou Kourouma

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1927-11-24 （Boundiali, Côte d'Ivoire）
Died
2003-12-11 （Lyon, France） age 76
Nationality
Côte d'Ivoire
Languages
French
Residence History
Boundiali (birthplace) → Bamako (studies) → Lyon, France (studied mathematics) → Algeria (exile 1964–1969) → Cameroon (exile 1974–1984) → Togo (exile 1984–1994) → Côte d'Ivoire (return/residence)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Playwright
Active Years
1968-2003
Influenced By
Voltaire (satirical tradition), Mandinka/Malinké oral tradition (griot), Epic of Sundiata

Education

Institutions in Bamako
Country: Mali
Reported studies in Bamako during youth; details unclear
University in Lyon
Mathematics
Period: 1954頃
Country: France
Studied mathematics in Lyon, France (details unclear)

Awards

Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
1969
Work: Les Soleils des indépendances
Organization: Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
Result: 受賞
Prix Maillé-Latour-Landry
1970
Work: Les Soleils des indépendances
Organization: Prix Maillé-Latour-Landry
Result: 受賞
Prix Tropiques
1998
Work: En attendant le vote des bêtes sauvages
Organization: Prix Tropiques
Result: 受賞
Grand prix Poncetton
1998
Work: En attendant le vote des bêtes sauvages
Organization: Grand prix Poncetton
Result: 受賞
Prix du Livre Inter
1999
Work: En attendant le vote des bêtes sauvages
Organization: Prix du Livre Inter
Result: 受賞
Grand prix Jean-Giono
2000
Work: Allah n'est pas obligé
Organization: Grand prix Jean-Giono
Result: 受賞
Prix Renaudot
2000
Work: Allah n'est pas obligé
Organization: Prix Renaudot
Result: 受賞
Prix Goncourt des Lycéens
2000
Work: Allah n'est pas obligé
Organization: Prix Goncourt des Lycéens
Result: 受賞
Prix Amerigo Vespucci
2000
Work: Allah n'est pas obligé
Organization: Prix Amerigo Vespucci
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Les Soleils des indépendances

1968 Novel

A critical novel about post-colonial African politics and society, exploring the clash between tradition and modernity and the corruption of power.

Colonialism and its aftermathTradition vs. modernityCorruption of power
Translations
  • The Suns of Independence (translated by Adrian Adams, 1981)

Le diseur de vérité

1972 Drama/Play

A dramatic work containing critical perspectives on society and power.

Social critiqueTruth and fiction

Monnè, outrages et défis

1990 Novel

A novel dealing with a century of colonial history, depicting past and present violences.

Colonial historyViolence and memory
Translations
  • Monnew: a novel (translated by Nidra Poller, 1993)

En attendant le vote des bêtes sauvages

1998 Novel (satire)

A satirical novel told in a griot-like voice, satirizing dictatorships and postcolonial power, with elements of the Epic of Sundiata and Voltaire-like satire.

SatireDictatorship and powerInfluence of oral tradition
Translations
  • Waiting for the Vote of the Wild Animals (translated by Carrol F. Coates, 2001)
  • Waiting for the Wild Beasts to Vote (translated by Frank Wynne, 2003)

Allah n'est pas obligé

2000 Novel

Tells the story of an orphan boy who becomes a child soldier, portraying civil war, violence and moral breakdown. English translation published in 2006.

Child soldiersCivil warMoral collapse
Translations
  • Allah Is Not Obliged (translated by Frank Wynne, 2006)

Quand on refuse on dit non

2005 Novel (posthumous/unfinished sequel)

Posthumously published sequel to Allah n'est pas obligé (unfinished), following the protagonist's demobilization and return to a new regional conflict in Côte d'Ivoire.

Post-war reintegrationRegional conflict

Bibliography

  • Les Soleils des indépendances (1968)
  • Le diseur de vérité (1972)
  • Monnè, outrages et défis (1990)
  • En attendant le vote des bêtes sauvages (1998)
  • Yacouba, chasseur africain (1998)
  • Allah n'est pas obligé (2000)
  • Quand on refuse on dit non (2005, posthumous)

Translations of Works

  • The Suns of Independence (Adrian Adams, 1981)
  • Waiting for the Vote of the Wild Animals / Waiting for the Wild Beasts to Vote (Carrol F. Coates 2001; Frank Wynne 2003)
  • Allah Is Not Obliged (Frank Wynne, 2006)
  • Monnew: a novel (Nidra Poller, 1993)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Satirical, strong narrative voiceMix of colloquial French and Mandinka-influenced expressionsGriot-like narrative structure
Recurring Motifs
Allegorical animalsCorruption of power and dictatorshipLegacy of colonialismChild soldiers and the brutality of war

Legacy

Kourouma is an important voice in Francophone African literature, widely praised for combining satire with elements of oral tradition. Allah n'est pas obligé gained international recognition and influenced early-21st-century African writing.

Quotes

  • "Ivorian nationalism is an absurdity which has led us to chaos."
    Source: Comment during the outbreak of the Ivorian civil war (reported) (2002)

Trivia

  • Served with the French military in Indochina (1950–1954).
  • Lived in exile in Algeria (1964–1969), Cameroon (1974–1984) and Togo (1984–1994).
  • Wrote primarily in French, heavily influenced by Mandinka oral traditions.
  • Died in Lyon in 2003; a posthumous sequel Quand on refuse on dit non was published.