VéRONIQUE/TADJO CÔTE D’IVOIRE PROSE, POETRY AND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

éronique Tadjo was born in 1955 in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, and now lives in Johan-

nesburg, where, as well as being a prolific wri-ter and artist, she is head of the French depart-ment at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Tadjo’s versatility is impressive. She writes poetry for children and adults. Queen Pokou is a novel for adults − translated into Swedish as Drottning Pokou (2005) − and The Shadow of Imana. Travels in the heart of Rwanda is a liter- ary report on the genocide in Rwanda. She also publishes poetry and prose anthologies for young people, such as Talking Drums and Cha-sing the Sun and creates imaginative picture- books, such as Grand-mère Nanan, The Lord of the Dance and Mamy Wata and the Monster. The latter was published in Sweden by Trasten in 2008.

She writes in French and translates her books herself into English. Two new books were published in 2010: a book for young people about Nelson Mandela and a novel with the title of Loin de mon père.

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VéRONIQUE TADJO caught in action at the africa stand. Visitors to the stand had the chance to watch more than 20 performances eVery day during the four-day fair.