Created in 2001 by the International Organization of La Francophonie, the Five Continents Award, which rewards each year a narrative fiction text of French expression, saw for its 18th Edition the participation of 120 works. On August 2nd, the representatives of the 5 Reading Committees selected 10 finalist books representing 8 countries.

In the opinion of the committees, "the feeling of unfairness, so present in the 2019 selection, is often expressed by voices of unaltered children. Uncompromising. These novels testify to the vitality of the cultures in a French language mixed and nourished of all its accents."

The international jury, chaired by Paula Jacques (France-Egypt) will designate the 2019 laureate and the International Organization of La Francophonie will then promote it on the international literary scene for a whole year.

With a prize of 10,000 euros, the Francophonie's Five Continents Award, to be presented during the third quarter, highlights literary talents reflecting the expression of cultural and editorial diversity in the French language. five continents and to promote them on the international scene.

List of finalists :

• « Après la mer » by Alexandre Feraga (France), Editions Flammarion (France)

• « Camarade papa by Gauz (Côté d'Ivoire), Editions Le nouvel Attila (France)

• « Je suis seul » by Beyrouk (Mauritanie), Editions Elyzad, (Tunisie)

• « Là où les chiens aboient par la queue » by Estelle Sarah Bulle (France), Editions Liana Levi (France)

• « Le fil des anges » by Ester Mann & Lévon Minasian (France et Arménie), Editions Vents d'ailleurs (France)

• « Le Tranquille affligé » by Gilles Jobidon (Québec – Canada), Editions Leméac (Québec – Canada)

• « Les yeux de Mansour » by Ryad Girod (Algérie), Editions P.O.L (France)

• « Maître-minuit » by Makenzy Orcel (Haïti) aux éditions Zulma (France)

• « San Perdido
• by David Zukerman (France), Editions Calmann-Lévy, (France)

• « Sans Silke » de Michel Layaz (Suisse), Editions Zoé (Suisse)

Learn more about "Maître-minuit" :

"[...] Poto was born under the sad tropics of a bloody dictatorship, an unknown father and Marie Élitha Demosthenes Laguerre, her alleged mother who wanders every night in the glue vapors. But Poto has a real gift for perching at the stars, dreaming his life, telling the world and drawing.

With only his treasure trove in a backpack, Poto gets under way. He mimes the madman so that the fauna of the city will leave him in peace, alive with larceny and juggling... Until the day he stands under the strange protection of a hitman in the pay of the regime.

Here is the striking and beautiful story of a tightrope walker, a surveyor who learns life by walking, like Master-Midnight, legendary Haitian giant, a man standing, who always advances, whatever happens.

SL/ HaitiLibre