Ivorian philosopher and poet Tanella Boni was awarded the Tchicaya U Tam’si Prize for African Poetry at the 46th Asilah Cultural Festival in Morocco. This recognition honors her unique contributions to poetry and philosophy, celebrating her ability to blend aesthetic reflection with social commitment, redefining women’s voices in Africa.
Tanella Boni, the Ivorian philosopher and poet, was honored at the Hassan II Center for International Meetings in Asilah, Morocco, where she received the Tchicaya U Tam’si Prize for African Poetry during the 46th Asilah Cultural Festival.
This award, presented by the Asilah Forum Foundation since 1989 in memory of the late Congolese poet Tchicaya U Tam’si, recognizes Boni’s poetic and philosophical journey and her ability to transform poetry into a space for both contemplation and aesthetic rebellion.
Hatem Betiwi, the Secretary-General of the foundation, stated during the ceremony that this accolade “appreciates the unique experience of Tanella Boni and acknowledges the richness of her poetic work, which combines aesthetic precision with social commitment,” adding that her writings “redefine the female voice on the continent and provide Africa with its own language in confronting the world.”
Jocelyne Drus, representing the Moroccan Minister of Culture, described the award-winning poet as a “prominent voice in contemporary African poetry,” noting that her poems represent “a form of quiet resistance that restores the symbolic place of African women in building collective consciousness.”
Amadou Lamine Sal, the head of the jury and a Senegalese poet, remarked, “The name Tanella Boni has become synonymous with poetry and hard work, and this award is a natural culmination of a career that transcends the boundaries between thought and art, between reason and inspiration.”
In a speech filled with gratitude and wisdom, Tanella Boni expressed, “This African land, despite its ailments and constraints, is made of sharing, exchange, beauty, and dignity… and I am a daughter of this land.”
The poet joins a distinguished list of prominent African poets who have previously received the award, including Ahmed Abdel-Moaty Higazi, Vera Duarte, Niyi Osundare, Edward Mounyé, and Amadou Lamine Sal himself.
Tanella Boni’s journey reflects the transformation of thought into poetry. Born in 1954 in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, during a time when the African continent was feeling its way toward post-independence, she grew up amidst waves of political and social change. From the beginning, she chose to listen not to the speeches of leaders but to the deep whispers of the land and humanity.
She traveled to France to study philosophy, earning her doctorate from the University of Paris in 1987 with her thesis “The Idea of Life in Aristotle.” However, she returned to her homeland not to isolate herself in an academic tower but to create a bridge between African thought and human heritage.
At Félix Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan, Boni taught philosophy while encouraging her students to listen to Africa’s voices in philosophy. When she began writing poetry, she did not only write about love or nostalgia; she made poetry a mirror for the African feminine self, which is surrounded by customs, authority, and language.
In her collections such as “Là où il fait si clair en moi” (Where Light is Clear Within Me), “Grains de sable” (Grains of Sand), and “Interdit de mourir” (Forbidden to Die), femininity speaks with wisdom, and intellectual courage places women at the center of existence rather than on its margins.
In her philosophical book “Que vivent les femmes d’Afrique?” (Let African Women Live?), she engaged in an open dialogue with the realities of African women, asserting that “the liberation of women is not merely a political act but an existential act that changes the meaning of life itself.”
Tanella Boni combines the rigor of a thinker with the transparency of a poet; in her view, philosophy is not the opposite of poetry but its natural extension. Both seek to understand humanity through language, and her writings are imbued with profound questions: Who are we? What does it mean to be African in a world that only hears us when we scream? What remains of humanity when dignity is stripped away? In each of her texts, the reader glimpses a deep belief that Africa is not a continent of defeats but a continent of reflection and the ability to start anew. She redefines Africa through poetry, not as a wound on the world map but as a heart pulsating with wisdom, resilience, and beauty.
Tanella Boni’s receipt of the Tchicaya U Tam’si Prize was not merely a literary event but a symbolic moment in the history of modern African culture. It acknowledges that African poetry has entered an era of female consciousness; a time when women are no longer written about in poems but are the ones writing poetry and reshaping the world with it.
In a continent seeking balance between modernity and tradition, Boni came to assert that poetry is not a linguistic luxury but an act of survival. Philosophy is not merely an inquiry into concepts but into the fate of humanity. She has transported her experience from the confines of academia to the vastness of life, from the dialogue of European thought to the questions of the African self—this self that continues to rediscover itself in the mirror after centuries of colonization and prolonged silence.
Boni’s victory, as a poet who carries within her lines the pain of African women and the dreams of the entire continent, confirms that the future of African literature will not be written by politics or declarations but by poetry; a poetry that shines like a lamp in a long night and reconstructs consciousness from within. Africa has led the world in transforming poetry into a form of spiritual resistance, and Tanella Boni continues this legacy—the legacy of the late poet Tchicaya U Tam’si—giving it new dimensions.
Thus, her recognition in Asilah is more than an award; it is a signal that the black continent is still capable of producing thought and beauty together—and that poetry, as Boni herself states, “is not a promise of survival but a continuous act of life in the face of nothingness.”
Who is Tanella Boni?
Tanella Boni (Tanella Boni) is a poet, philosopher, and novelist from Ivory Coast, born in 1954 in Abidjan. She is considered one of the most prominent literary and intellectual voices in contemporary Africa, distinguished by her ability to blend the depth of philosophy with the transparency of poetry.
She earned her doctorate in philosophy from the University of Paris in 1987 and taught at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan, where she also served as the head of the philosophy department.
Boni has written dozens of works spanning poetry, novels, and philosophical essays, including “Grains de sable” (Grains of Sand), “Interdit de mourir” (Forbidden to Die), “Là où il fait si clair en moi” (Where Light is Clear Within Me), and her philosophical book “Que vivent les femmes d’Afrique?” (Let African Women Live?).
Her works address issues of identity, femininity, freedom, and human destiny, and she is regarded as a symbol of the intellectual feminist movement in Africa. She has received prestigious literary awards both on the continent and beyond, the latest being the Tchicaya U Tam’si Prize for African Poetry in 2025, in recognition of her experience that blends thought with beauty, self with homeland, and poetry with wisdom.
Tanella Boni was born in 1954 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, during a time when Africa was navigating its post-independence identity. She pursued philosophy in France, earning her doctorate in 1987, and returned to her homeland to bridge African thought with global heritage. Her work reflects the complexities of African women’s experiences and the broader cultural landscape.
Boni’s literary journey has established her as a significant figure in contemporary African literature. Her poetry and philosophical writings address themes of identity, femininity, and human destiny, positioning her as a key voice in the feminist intellectual movement in Africa. Her recent award underscores the importance of