From 28 to 30 October, the Institut français de Dakar and Elgas are organising international literary encounters on humour and derision. Authors, academics and cartoonists will discuss the power of laughter in the face of crises and injustice.

By Amadou MBODJI – The Institut français de Dakar, in collaboration with Elgas, is organising international literary encounters devoted to humour and derision in literature. Entitled “Is laughter the politeness of despair?”, the event, which will run from 28 to 30 October, will bring together authors, academics, publishers and cartoonists around the power of laughter in the face of crises, injustice and relations of domination.

The discussions will take place at several venues in the capital, notably the Institut français, Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (Ucad), Plumes du monde, the Aux 4 Vents bookshop, as well as in secondary schools. The activity is part of the October literary programme. “For us, it fits into our October theme, which is centred on words. Literature means both the start of the academic year and the new literary season, with lots of events in Dakar: a women’s book fair, an event on Boris Diop, among others.

In collaboration with Elgas, there was also the idea of offering this symposium, these literary encounters, which are regional gatherings where we invite people from several parts of the continent and from France on this theme of laughter and derision in literature,” explains Ms Valérie Lesbros, deputy director of the Institut français du Sénégal in Dakar and Cultural Attaché at the French Embassy in Senegal.

Another activity, entitled “La Fabrique des mots” (The Word Factory), will take place in parallel, with the closing ceremony for its first cohort. “Over the same period, because we have several projects that echo literature, we will also have the closing and anniversary of a project called

“La Fabrique des mots”, through which we supported around fifteen young authors over a whole year. The literary encounters will mark the close of the first year of our first cohort of young authors, who will also be able to take part in these literary encounters, and we will have a second cohort after that,” she adds.

Ms Nogaye Diop, head of the Ideas and Knowledge unit at the Institut français du Sénégal, then went over the concept of “La Fabrique des mots”, a springboard designed to support young writers.

““La Fabrique des mots” is an incubator the institute created to build the skills of young authors, young people who really want to devote themselves to writing. We took them on for a year to train them in the whole book chain, from writing to distribution,” Ms Nogaye Diop notes.

She also explains the reasons for pairing literature with laughter. “It’s because it is a genre. There is a lot of humour in literature. Some authors choose to put humour at the heart of their writing or use it as a source of inspiration. Now, it can be humour in the usual sense or black humour,” she observes.

As for participants, university professors, renowned caricaturists such as Odia, journalists such as Pape Samba Kane and Ibou Fall, and established writers such as Mbougar Sarr are expected. These figures will share their expertise with the young participants. The event will close on the eve of the YOG, whose hosting in Senegal the organisers of this activity combining literature and humour welcome.

ambodji@lequotidien.sn