CULTURE
AFRICA: “LES AFRIQUES” Prize 2020 goes to the Nigerian writer Ayòbámi Adébáyò for her novel “Stay with me”

Press release: we are pleased to announce that the fifth edition of the “AFRICA” literary prize is awarded to the Nigerian novelist Ayòbámi ADÉBÀYÒ for her novel entitled REST WITH ME published by Charleston editions. First, this novel was published in English under the title “Stay with me”. Second, it was translated into French by Josette CHICHEPORTICHE and published by Charleston editions in 2019.
The work mainly evokes the following themes: marriage, the family, patriarchal mentalities and traditions, sterility, mourning and loneliness. It immerses us in the intimate world of the two main characters, Akin and Yedidje. The story takes place in the eighties in Nigeria, a double political and social violence will put the love in this couple to the test.
Testimonials
Ugandan writer Jennifer Makumbi (Prix Les Afriques 2020 shortlist) said of Stay with Me, “It was compulsive reading, Ayobami ADÉBÀYÒ is just awesome. She is an outstanding storyteller! “. Literary columnist Michiko Kakutani (New York Times) also praised this novel. Ella said Ayobami ADÉBÀYÒ was “an exceptional storyteller,” adding, “She wrote not only with extraordinary grace, but also with genuine wisdom about love, mourning and redemption. She wrote a powerful, magnetic and heartbreaking book ”.
Biography and background
Ayòbámi ADÉBÀYÒ was born in Lagos in 1988. Passionate about storytelling since her childhood, she has been writing short stories since the age of nine, drawing inspiration from the oral tradition tales so dear to Nigerian culture. She studied English Literature at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. When she was 19, she participated in a writing workshop organized by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in Lagos. This had a huge impact on his willingness to write fiction. Stay with me is her first novel.
THE AFRICA PRIZE
The literary prize “LES AFRIQUES” was created in 2015 by the association of readers LA CENE Littéraire. This prize is awarded once by one to an African or Afro-descendant writer of a fiction. This fiction must highlight a human, societal, ideological, political, cultural, economic or even historical cause of the moment in relation to Africa or its diaspora. This prize includes a sum of money of € 5,300, a work of art worth € 3,500, the purchase of 100 copies of the award-winning book or the acquisition of the rights to the award-winning book for the geographic area of Sub-Saharan Africa French speaking.
THE AFRICA PRIZE JURY
This year 2020, the jury chaired by Professor Ambroise KOM was also made up of:
• Boubacar Boris DIOP (novelist, professor of literature)
• Koulsy LAMKO (novelist, professor of literature)
• Bourahima OUATTARA (writer and professor of literature)
• Sada KANE (journalist, literary critic, literary promoter)
• Hortense SIME (doctor, passionate about literature)
THE “SHORTLIST”
The members of the jury underlined the remarkable quality of the books also selected for the selection of the 2020 edition, namely:
– The Confessions of Frannie Langton, Sara Collins, Jamaica, translated from English by Charles Recoursé, (Éditions Belfond).
– Amour, fatherland and crab soup, Johary Ravaloson, Madagascar, (Éditions Dodo Vole).
– Rouge Impératrice, Léonora Miano, Cameroon, (Editions Bernard Grasset)
– Kintu, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, Uganda, translated from English by Céline Schwaller, (Éditions Métailié).
A PROPOSAL TO STAY WITH ME
Against the backdrop of the political upheavals in Nigeria in the 1980s, the unforgettable portrait of a woman who chooses freedom … against all odds.
Yejide and Akin live a wonderful love story. From their love at first sight at the University of Ifé, until their marriage, everything happened. Yet four years later, Yejide is still not pregnant. They might be content with their love if Akin, as the eldest son, was not required to offer his parents an heir. Yejide consults all the specialists, doctors and wizards, swallows all the drugs and strange potions… Until the day when a young woman appears on his doorstep. Akin’s second wife. The one who will give him the child so longed for. Upset, mad with jealousy, Yejide knows that the only way to save her marriage is to have a child. Then begin a long and painful quest for motherhood that will require unimaginable sacrifices.
THE AFRICA AWARD WINNERS
As a reminder, the first four winners of the Les AFRIQUES Prize are:
– 2016 Edition: Hemley Boum, Les Maquisards, La Cheminante, 2015
– 2017 Edition: Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin, Le Messie du Darfour, Zulma, 2016
– 2018 Edition: Kei Miller, By the rivers of Babylon, Zulma, 2017
– 2019 Edition: Elnathan John, Born on Tuesday. 2018
ABOUT THE LITERARY SUPPER
The literary CENE is a non-profit association founded on July 1, 2015 by Flore Agnès NDA ZOA MEILTZ (Cameroonian and Swiss lawyer established in Switzerland) and registered in the commercial register of the Canton of Vaud under number CHE-256.373.796.
This association is developing many initiatives to promote African and Afro-descendant literature, including:
> A literary prize: the LES AFRIQUES Prize
> A literary residency in Cameroon
> Financial aid for literary projects
> Literary cafes
> The active promotion of books through various communication networks.
CINEMA
BURKINA FASO – Culture and tourism: The 4th edition of Tunnel honors the builders of the shadow

Koudougou, May 31, 2025 (AIB) – The 4th edition of Tunnel, a ceremony for distinguishing cultural and tourist actors in the Central-West region, was held in Koudougou on Saturday, noted the AIB on site.
This annual event, initiated by Adama Badiel, aims to create, according to him, a platform of visibility and support for artists and tourism professionals to allow them to establish themselves on national and international scenes.
The promoter Adama Badiel stressed the importance of this edition, placed under the sign of collaboration, recognition and collective construction. He recalled the fundamental objective of the Tunnel: “to highlight the cultural and tourist talents of the Center-West, these women and men who, often without spotlight or support, nourish our region with their passion, creativity, and determination.”
This year, the event paid a special tribute to its partners, whose support is deemed indispensable. Among the officials present were Jean Noël Bonkoungou, representing the minister of culture, patron of the ceremony, El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, president of the Patronat du Centre-Ouest, Franck Alain Kaboré, CEO of Cinéma Neerwaya, and Ali Bonkoungou, CEO of Salsabil Bâtiment, testifying to the commitment of the private and public sectors.
Despite a slight reduction to five categories in competition this year, due to a limited number of album releases and works meeting the criteria, Adama Badiel ensured that the “Golden Tunnel” category will evolve from next year to expand opportunities while maintaining the quality requirement.
The promoter also launched a call for goodwill because, “we need you to build a true ecosystem where art, heritage, tourism and youth can express themselves, thrive and inspire.” This heartfelt plea highlights the major challenge of the lack of resources to fully support the laureates and optimize their visibility.
Several emblematic figures of Burkinabe cinema, such as Eugène Bayala (Oyou), Sawadogo Alidou (head of the Village of Kikideni), and Rasmané Ouédraogo (Razo), have already been honored in previous editions.
This year, the winners on the artistic side include Mr. Baraka, Tasha, Yololo Junior, and KSB 80.
In the cultural and tourist field, personalities like El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, Franck Alain Kaboré, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Boubacar Berewoudougou (Hôtel Pousga), Catherine Zoma (ISMK), and Salfo Dermé were distinguished, in addition to tributes paid to ancient glories of Burkinabe music such as Pasteur Moussa Josué.
Adama Badiel concluded by stating that “the Tunnel is not a one-time event. It is a movement, an ambition, a bridge between what we are and what we can become. A strong message for the future of culture and tourism in the Center-West.
The boss’s representative, Jean Noël Bonkoungou, reassured the promoter of Tunnel of the support of the ministry.
Source: Information Agency of Burkina
Photo credit: Information Agency of Burkina
CULTURE
SENEGAL – With “COSAAN”, Daara J Family signs a high-flying single

See on the platforms the legendary Senegalese hip-hop group Daara J Family. On May 30, 2025, the band returns with “COSAAN”, a committed single that resonates, with its morning mbalax melodies and gentle flows, as an essential reminder: never forget where you come from. The single has over 80,000 views and 900 comments on YouTube.
“Fan nga cosaanoo?” – Where are your roots?
This question in wolof, almost a supplication, serves as the thread to the new title of Daara J Family. NAACP literally means “origin” or “heritage”. With this single, the iconic duo formed by Faada Freddy and Ndongo D delivers a work that is at once poetic, political and deeply rooted in history, especially that of Senegal. It is also a call to African youth not to forget their origins. And above all to enhance its cultural heritage by walking with pride in the footsteps of the ancients.
Cosaan, between mbalax and rap
Formed in 1994, while still in high school, the members of Daara J Family never gave up their musical identity. Indeed, they have always mixed sharp words, spirituality and pan-African consciousness. In “COSAAN”, they revisit this tradition that is dear to them. In this song, there are traditional sounds (mbalax) and contemporary hip-hop textures, echoing their long-standing belief: rap was born in Africa, traveled, then came back. The refrain, translated into French, is unequivocal: “Le monde et ce qu’il contient / Si tu vas là et que tu l’obtiens / N’oublie pas, n’oublie pas / This is where your origin lies!” A direct appeal to African youth not to give in to cultural amnesia and to keep the memory of ancestors and African identity alive.
When history inhabits the word
Faada Freddy, with his recognizable soul voice among a thousand, hums: “We know where we come from/ What worries us is where we are going…” This lucid concern can only be tempered by an unwavering faith in the values of the elders. Ndongo D, adds in a quick flow: “If you forget yesterday, tomorrow you will be lost (…) You were born here, you come from here, you live here.” It is an anchor cry, a response to uprooting, a warning against forgetting.

Daara J Family: Making sense of the flow
From their first eponymous album in 1998 to Boomerang in 2003 — hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the century by The Observer — to Yaamatele in 2020, Daara J Family have always been able to combine the art of flow with that of meaning. Their commitment goes beyond words. They shared the stage with icons such as Public Enemy or Mos Def, and travelled through festivals from Africa to Europe, from WOMAD to Live 8.
COSAAN: a single dedicated to transmission
More than a return, COSAAN is a transmission. It is a manifesto. That of a knowledge, a duty to remember, a pride. At a time when markers are shifting, when crops are being diluted. In an era marked by migration, globalization and multiple influences, Daara J Family reminds us that identity is a foundation, not a burden. That heritage is not nostalgia, but a compass. And they offer a musical compass and identity with this single: Cosaan!
ART
SENEGAL – Ousmane Sow’s massive sculptures enter the Vauban fort at Mont-Dauphin

The monumental works depicting the battle of Little Big Horn, exhibited on the Pont des Arts in Paris in 1999, made the Senegalese artist famous. The installation has just joined the fortress in the Hautes-Alpes for at least ten years.
Muscled warriors meld, horse bumping. Sounds of the fury of battle are heard. Under the impressive curvilinear wooden frame of the old Rochambeau barracks, at the fort of Mont-Dauphin (Hautes-Alpes), is played the battle of Little Big Horn, opposing, in 1876, a coalition of Cheyennes, Sioux and Arapaho to the soldiers of General Custer’s regiment.
In thirty-five monumental sculptures, visible from 6 July, the Senegalese sculptor Ousmane Sow (1935-2016) celebrates the resounding victory of the fragile over the powerful. Deposited in this fortified village for a period of ten years renewable by his widow, the director Béatrice Soulé, this epic installation is well known to the Parisians who discovered it amazed, one day in March 1999, on the Pont des Arts.
The exhibition has remained in the annals with its record attendance – at least 3 million visitors in three months. «An unexpected success», recalls art critic Emmanuel Daydé, then deputy mayor for cultural affairs. For the former physiotherapist born in 1935 in Dakar, who later became an artist, it is consecration. But also, surprisingly, a swan song.
At the moment when Ousmane Sow gains international fame, the art world turns its back on him. Although he was the first African artist recognized in France, none of his successors, to whom he had paved the way, claimed it.
Mayor’s daughter supports her cause
It had all started well. In 1993, the Senegalese sculptor, who two years earlier had been on the cover of Revue noire – a quarterly magazine that revealed a number of African talents – was invited to the major five-year exhibition at Documenta in Kassel, Germany. In 1995, here he is at the Venice Biennale, which is to contemporary art what the Cannes Film Festival is to cinema. The autodidact dreams of an event in Paris.
By chance, he met Hélène Tiberi, daughter of the mayor at the time, Jean Tiberi. Who supports his cause at the City Hall. The location is easy: it will be the Pont des Arts, between the Louvre and the Academy of Fine Arts. It will take diplomatic treasures to convince these two institutions, who have not seen with a good eye the proximity of massive silhouettes imagined by an African artist.Archives «World»: Ousmane Sow questions Bordeaux and politicians
The neighbouring National School of Fine Arts, where figurative art was then taboo, is also pinching its nose. Money is missing. The Havas group had initially promised to contribute to the addition of 5 million francs (the equivalent of 1 million euros today), but its new CEO, Jean-Marie Messier, is sneaking out. Béatrice Soulé moves heaven and earth, finds sponsors and is personally indebted to the tune of 1 million francs. More here
Source: Le Monde
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