Tierno Monénembo
ティエルノ・モネネンボ
Tierno Monénembo
Aliases:
Thierno Saïdou Diallo / Thierno Saïdou Diallo (出生名)
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1947-01-01 （Porédaka, Guinea）
- Died
- Nationality
- Guinea
- Languages
- French
- Residence History
- Porédaka, Guinea — birthplace → Senegal — fled Guinea in 1969 → Ivory Coast — studied → France (since 1973; resident in Normandy) → Morocco — taught → Algeria — taught → United States (visiting professor at Middlebury College, Vermont, since 2007)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, biochemist, playwright, professor
- Active Years
- 1979-
- Influenced By
- Léopold Sédar Senghor
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Lyon | — | Biochemistry | Doctorate (PhD) | 1973-（取得年不明） | France |
University of Lyon
Biochemistry
Degree:
Doctorate (PhD)
Period:
1973-（取得年不明）
Country:
France
Moved to France in 1973 and obtained a doctorate in biochemistry; exact graduation year not consistently reported in sources.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire | Les Écailles du ciel | — | Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire | winner |
| 2008 | Prix Renaudot | The King of Kahel | — | Prix Renaudot | winner |
| 2012 | Prix Erckmann-Chatrian | Le Terroriste noir | — | Prix Erckmann-Chatrian | winner |
| 2012 | Grand prix Palatine | Le Terroriste noir | — | Grand prix Palatine | winner |
| 2013 | Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma | Le Terroriste noir | — | Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma | winner |
| 2017 | Grand Prix de la Francophonie | — | — | Organisation of La Francophonie | winner |
Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
1986
Work:
Les Écailles du ciel
Organization:
Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
Result:
winner
Prix Renaudot
2008
Work:
The King of Kahel
Organization:
Prix Renaudot
Result:
winner
Prix Erckmann-Chatrian
2012
Work:
Le Terroriste noir
Organization:
Prix Erckmann-Chatrian
Result:
winner
Grand prix Palatine
2012
Work:
Le Terroriste noir
Organization:
Grand prix Palatine
Result:
winner
Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma
2013
Work:
Le Terroriste noir
Organization:
Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma
Result:
winner
Grand Prix de la Francophonie
2017
Organization:
Organisation of La Francophonie
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Prix Renaudot (Prix Théophraste-Renaudot)
1 appearances
-
Edition 83 (2008) Winner
Works
Major Works
Les Crapauds-brousse
1979 NovelEarly novel; detailed summaries are limited in available sources.
early worksociety
Les Écailles du ciel
1986 NovelA work addressing the powerlessness of intellectuals and African society; won a major literary prize in 1986.
intelligentsia's dilemmapostcolonialism
The Oldest Orphan
2000 NovelA novel engaging with the memory of the Rwandan genocide; English translation published in 2004 and reached an anglophone readership.
memorygenocidetrauma
Translations
- English translation (University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2004)
The King of Kahel
2008 Historical novel / fictionalized biographyA fictionalized biography of French adventurer Aimé Olivier de Sanderval that revisits colonial history and black diaspora connections; won the Prix Renaudot in 2008.
examining colonialismreinterpreting historydiaspora
Translations
- English translation (AmazonCrossing, 2010)
Le Terroriste noir
2012 NovelA novel exploring the intersections of politics, violence, and history; received multiple literary prizes in 2012.
politicsviolencehistory
Bibliography
- Les Crapauds-brousse (1979)
- Les Écailles du ciel (1986)
- Un rêve utile (1991)
- Un attiéké pour Elgass (1993)
- Pelourinho (1995)
- Cinéma: roman (1997)
- The Oldest Orphan (2000)
- Peuls (2004)
- La Tribu des gonzesses: théâtre (2006)
- The King of Kahel (2008)
- Le Terroriste noir (2012)
- Les coqs cubains chantent à minuit (2015)
- Bled (2016)
Translations of Works
- The Oldest Orphan (English translation, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2004)
- The King of Kahel (English translation, AmazonCrossing, 2010)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- restrained and solid prosefictionalization of historical factsfocus on memory and trauma
- Recurring Motifs
- exile and diasporapowerlessness of intellectualsexamining colonialismmemory and historical transmission
Legacy
Considered one of the important Francophone African writers, Monénembo is praised for fictionalizing colonial history, exile, and diaspora memory. He has received multiple literary awards in France and abroad and represents an important voice in contemporary French-language literature.
Quotes
-
“Guinea, Fifty Years of Independence and Hell”
Source: Le Monde (column, 2009) (2009)
Trivia
- In 1969 he fled the Ahmed Sékou Touré dictatorship on foot to Senegal.
- The English translation of The King of Kahel was published by AmazonCrossing in 2010 as that imprint's first translated title.
- The English translation of The Oldest Orphan (2004) is regarded as one of his most prominent works in the English-speaking world.