The Moroccan writer Loubna Serraj is one of the six finalists for the Orange Book Prize in Africa 2021, with her novel “Provided he is in a good mood”, published by La Croisée des Chemins.
The organizers thus announced that the previous edition of this prize was won by the Moroccan writer and artist Youssouf Amine Elalamy for “C’est beau, la guerre”, co-edited by Au Diable Vauvert and the Moroccan house Le Fennec.
Loubna Serraj was selected alongside the Algerian Ahmed Gasmia (“The people of the sky”, editions Frantz Fanon), the Senegalese Ibrahima Hane (“The foam of time”, editions L’Harmattan), the Congolese Monique Ilboudo ( “Crossroads of Widows”, published by Les lettres Mouchetées), the Mauritian Davina Ittoo (“Misère”, published by L’Atelier des nomades) and the Tunisian Sami Mokkadem (“Le secret des Barcides”, published by Pop Libris).
Organized by the Orange Foundation in partnership with the French Institute, the Orange Book Prize in Africa since 2019 rewards a novel written in French by an African writer and published by a publisher based on the African continent.
A total of 74 novels, from 16 countries, competed in this 3rd edition.
The selection of the six finalist novels was carried out by five reading committees in Tunisia, Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Mali.
Endowed with 10,000 euros, the winner of this literary prize will be designated at the end of June in Tunis.
The jury, chaired by Véronique Tadjo (Ivory Coast), is composed of Youssouf Amine Elalamy (Morocco), Yvan Amar (France), Kidi Bebey (France), Yahia Belaskri (Algeria), Eugène Ebodé (Cameroon), Valérie Marin La Meslée (France), Nicolas Michel (France), Gabriel Mwènè Okoundji (Congo) and Mariama Ndoye (Senegal).