The Asilah Season Honors the Poetry of Tanella Boni
The Asilah Forum Foundation announced yesterday, Monday, that the prestigious Chikaya Outamsi Prize for African Poetry for its thirteenth edition (2025) has been awarded to the renowned Ivorian poet Tanella Boni.
In a press release, the foundation highlighted that the jury, after receiving nominations from various nationalities and languages, engaged in an in-depth critical dialogue and held extensive discussions, unanimously decided to grant the award to Tanella Boni in recognition of her intellectual journey, the value of her poetic contributions, and the depth of her humanistic dimensions—qualities that embody the distinctive pillars of this prize in African poetry.
The award is part of the activities of the autumn session of the 46th International Cultural Season of Asilah, three years after the twelfth edition of the Chikaya Outamsi Prize for African Poetry, where the jury discussed the most notable African poetic experiences deserving of recognition.
The jury was chaired by Senegalese poet Amadou Lamine Sall, president of the International Biennial of Poetry in Dakar and recipient of the Chikaya Outamsi Prize for African Poetry in Asilah (2018). The committee included writer and journalist Bibos Diallo (Mauritania), poet and university professor Nabil Mansar (Morocco), literary scholar and former director of books and reading Abou Mbow (Senegal), writer and president of the African Group for Emergence and Communication Mohamed Nda (Ivory Coast), director of the Cristal Theater in Paris Catherine Savart (France), and Hatem Bettayeb, the secretary-general of the Asilah Forum Foundation.
Tanella Boni was born in Abidjan in 1954 and is considered one of the leading voices of the feminist movement in Africa and one of the most significant contemporary female poetic voices on the continent. Her writings are characterized by a blend of social and cultural commitment with poetic aesthetics, where she highlights issues of identity, women, and the African community.
Boni’s poetic talent emerged during her middle school years, and she continued to develop it despite her engagement in philosophy, fiction, and literary essays. She has solidified her place in the African poetic scene with a rich and intellectually profound body of work, noted for its sober style that addresses topics of identity and conflict succinctly and elegantly, avoiding excess.
This approach has earned her widespread respect and fame in Francophone and African cultural circles. She has received several prestigious literary awards, including the Ahmadou Kourouma Prize (2005), the Antonio Vicaro Prize (2009), the Excellence Prize in Literature from the Presidency of Ivory Coast (2017), the Théophile Gautier Prize from the French Academy (2018), and the International Festival of Francophone Poetry Prize (2023).
Tanella Boni has published numerous articles in esteemed literary and academic journals and has launched multiple initiatives since 2002 to promote poetry in Ivory Coast. She served as president of the Ivorian Writers’ Union (1991-1997) and was a key organizer of the International Poetry Festival in Abidjan. In addition, Boni plays an active and leadership role in various cultural and intellectual organizations and is a participating member of the Moroccan Academy.
Her writings and poetry collections explore diverse themes that create a space for contemplation, expression, protest, and resistance, giving voice to the voiceless.
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 9, 2025, during the official grand event of the International Cultural Season of Asilah, with the attendance of all members of the international jury, presided over by Senegalese poet Amadou Lamine Sall.
It is noteworthy that in the summer of 1988, the late Mohamed Bin Issa, former secretary-general of the Asilah Forum Foundation, announced the establishment of a prize dedicated to African poetry, awarded every three years to a distinguished African poet. This prize was named the “Chikaya Outamsi Prize for African Poetry” in honor of the memory of this Congolese poet, who had attended the Asilah seasons since 1981.
Boni is the second Ivorian poet to receive this award, which has previously been awarded to prominent poets such as Édouard Monique (Mauritius) in 1989, Rony Avarist (Haiti) in 1991, Mazini Konini (South Africa) in 1993, Ahmed Abdel-Moaty Hijazi (Egypt) in 1996, Jean-Baptiste Lothar (Congo-Brazzaville) in 1998, Vera Duarte (Cape Verde) in 2001, Abdel Karim Al-Talal (Morocco) in 2004, Nini Osanda (Nigeria) in 2008, Famé Diané Sine (Senegal) jointly with Mehdi Akhrif (Morocco) in 2011, José Ghibo (Ivory Coast) in 2014, Amadou Lamine Sall (Senegal) in 2018, and Paul Dakio (Cameroon) in 2022.
