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Edition 56 (2001) Winner
Kossi Efoui
コッシ・エフイ
Kossi Efoui
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1962 （Anfoin, Maritime Region, Togo）
- Nationality
- Togo
- Languages
- French
- Residence History
- Togo (birth - 1992) → France (1992 - present)
Career
- Occupations
- writer, playwright, novelist
- Active Years
- 1989-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Lomé | Faculty of Philosophy | Department of Philosophy | 学士課程（哲学） | — | Togo |
| University of Benin (Togo) | Graduate studies in Philosophy | Department of Philosophy | 修士（哲学） | — | Togo |
University of Lomé
Faculty of Philosophy
/ Department of Philosophy
Degree:
学士課程（哲学）
Country:
Togo
Studied philosophy at undergraduate level
University of Benin (Togo)
Graduate studies in Philosophy
/ Department of Philosophy
Degree:
修士（哲学）
Country:
Togo
Obtained a master's degree in philosophy
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire | La Fabrique de cérémonies | — | Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire (awarding organization) | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie | Solo d'un revenant | — | Organisation awarding the prize | 受賞 |
Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
2001
Work:
La Fabrique de cérémonies
Organization:
Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire (awarding organization)
Result:
受賞
Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie
2008
Work:
Solo d'un revenant
Organization:
Organisation awarding the prize
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Le carrefour
1989 theatreAn early play that intentionally obscures characters' origins and settings, using bodies and situations to explore themes.
identityabstract bodily representation
La Polka
1997 novelOne of Efoui's early novels, exploring social and personal relationships.
societyindividual
La Fabrique de cérémonies
2001 novelA novel dealing with ritual, power, and community; winner of the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 2001.
ritualpower
Solo d'un revenant
2008 novelA 2008 novel that won the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie.
memoryspectrality
L'Ombre des choses à venir
2009 novelPublished in 2009, this novel engages with the future and uncertainty.
futureuncertainty
Io
2007 tragedy / theatreA 2007 theatrical tragedy.
tragedyindividual and collective
Bibliography
- Le carrefour (theatre, 1989)
- La Malaventure (theatre, 1993)
- Les coupons de Magali (1994)
- Le Petit Frère du rameur (theatre, 1995)
- La Polka (novel, 1997)
- L'entre-deux rêves de Pitagaba (theatre, 2000)
- La Fabrique de cérémonies (novel, 2001)
- Volatiles (short works, 2006)
- Io (tragedy, 2007)
- Solo d'un revenant (novel, 2008)
- L'Ombre des choses à venir (novel, 2009)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- abstract, symbolic settingstechniques linking Africa and the Westbody-centered depiction
- Recurring Motifs
- exile and dissentpower and ritualanonymized characters (without explicit racial/origin markers)
Legacy
Kossi Efoui, a Togolese playwright and novelist, is known for deliberately ambiguous settings that link Africa and the West. He won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire for La Fabrique de cérémonies and has been recognized in francophone literary circles; his theatre work has been the subject of academic study (e.g. University of Paris III).
Trivia
- Moved to France in self-imposed exile in 1992.
- Intentionally obscures settings to link Africa and the West.
- Won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 2001 and the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie in 2008.