Embassy

From March 17 to 25, 2023, the French Institute in Cameroon is hosting the African Literature Week.

On the program: Meeting with authors, ephemeral bookstore, literary opening, one man show, dedications, workshops.
But above all the recording of an edition of the program “Face à ECN” produced by the French Embassy via the French Institute in Cameroon and presented by Eric Christian Nya.

As guest Jean-Claude Awono, known for his great passion for poetry, which opened up many paths for him in the field of culture and literature.

During the exchanges, it was a question of revisiting the very dense and rich career of this professor of letters trained at the École Normale Supérieure in Yaoundé, who since 2011 has been in charge of the management of Éditions Ifrikiya.

Almost a year after the terrible fire which reduced this structure for the promotion of books in Cameroon to ashes, the French Institute of Cameroon through Mr Yann Lorvo Advisor for Cooperation and Cultural Action and in the presence of the Director Mr Patrick HAUGUEL, has decided to once again express its solidarity by providing significant financial support. Good news, this financial support will not be one-off, but will be long-term and the beneficiary will be able to dispose of it freely according to their priorities, without having to justify themselves.

This news was obviously received with great emotion by Jean-Claude Awono, who was very sensitive to this mark of attention, which will certainly bring a breath of fresh air to the activities of this publishing house, with necessarily a positive impact on the feverish level of the book industry in Cameroon.

The public, who came in large numbers, also had the opportunity to interact with the guest, whose atypical trajectory and passion for promoting the book were strongly applauded.

His extensive experience as a publisher and poet has taken him to various countries in Europe (France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain), Asia (China), America (Canada) and Africa (Senegal, Chad, Morocco , Ivory Coast…) He has several times acted as a member of the jury for various prizes and literary competitions.
His poetic work At the height of blood was included this very year in the school programs of Cameroon.

To enhance the exchanges, the talented Joël Nya, a young musician accompanied by his repertoire, masterfully revisited his repertoire consisting of songs that are both intimate and festive.
A wonderful time spent at the media library of the French Institute of Cameroon in Yaoundé.

Recall that Jean-Claude Awono has been a traditional chief in Mbam and Inoubou since 2016 and a literary consultant.

The Face à ECN program will soon be broadcast exclusively on the Facebook page and the Youtube channel of the French Institute in Cameroon.

A great platform to tell about atypical careers, celebrate successes, in order to encourage vocations.