Abdourahman Waberi
Encyclopedia
Abdourahman A. Waberi is novelist, essayist, poet
, academic and short-story writer
.
Abdourahman Waberi was born in Djibouti City
in 1965. He went to France in 1985 to study English literature. Waberi worked as a literary consultant for Editions Le Serpent à plumes, Paris, and as a literary critic for Le Monde Diplomatique
. He has been a member of the International Jury for the Lettre Ulysses Award
for the Art of Reportage (Berlin, Germany), 2003 & 2004.
Waberi worked as an English teacher at Caen, France, where he has lived for most of time since 1985. He was awarded with several honors including the Stefan-Georg-Preis 2006, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
in 1996 and the Prix biennal « Mandat pour la liberté » - offered by PEN
France, 1998. In 2005, he was chosen amongst the “50 Writers of Future” by French literary Magazine Lire
.
In 2006/2007, Waberi lived in Berlin as a guest of the DAAD
. In 2007, he was a Donald and Susan Newhouse Center Humanities Fellow at Wellesley College, USA. His work is translated into more than ten languages. In 2007, Waberi participated in the international Stock Exchange of Visions
project. In 2010, he was a William F. Podlich Distinguished Fellow and a visiting professor at Claremont McKenna College
, California, a jury member of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
and an Academie de France Villa Medici
fellow in Roma, Italy.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, academic and short-story writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Abdourahman Waberi was born in Djibouti City
Djibouti (city)
The City of Djibouti is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.-History:...
in 1965. He went to France in 1985 to study English literature. Waberi worked as a literary consultant for Editions Le Serpent à plumes, Paris, and as a literary critic for Le Monde Diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...
. He has been a member of the International Jury for the Lettre Ulysses Award
Lettre Ulysses Award
The Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage has been given annually since 2003 for the best texts in the genre of literary reportage, which must have been first published during the previous two years...
for the Art of Reportage (Berlin, Germany), 2003 & 2004.
Waberi worked as an English teacher at Caen, France, where he has lived for most of time since 1985. He was awarded with several honors including the Stefan-Georg-Preis 2006, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
The Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire is a literary prize presented every year by the ADELF, the Association of French Language Writers for a French original text from Sub-Saharan Africa....
in 1996 and the Prix biennal « Mandat pour la liberté » - offered by PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
France, 1998. In 2005, he was chosen amongst the “50 Writers of Future” by French literary Magazine Lire
Lire
Lire is a French literary magazine covering both French and foreign literature. It was founded in 1975 by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber and Bernard Pivot.-External links:*...
.
In 2006/2007, Waberi lived in Berlin as a guest of the DAAD
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
. In 2007, he was a Donald and Susan Newhouse Center Humanities Fellow at Wellesley College, USA. His work is translated into more than ten languages. In 2007, Waberi participated in the international Stock Exchange of Visions
Stock Exchange of Visions
The Stock Exchange of Visions is a project initiated in 2006 by Fabrica, Benetton's research center. It gathers visionaries from diverse nationalities and cultures, who hail from a wide range of specialties, to provide insight into their vision for the future....
project. In 2010, he was a William F. Podlich Distinguished Fellow and a visiting professor at Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college and a member of the Claremont Colleges located in Claremont, California. The campus is located east of Downtown Los Angeles...
, California, a jury member of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
and an Academie de France Villa Medici
Villa Medici
The Villa Medici is a mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and now property of the French...
fellow in Roma, Italy.
Translated works
- The Land Without Shadows (short-story collection), translated by Jeanne Garane, prefaced by Nuruddin FarahNuruddin FarahNuruddin Farah is a prominent Somali novelist.-Early years:Born in Baidoa, Somalia, Farah is the son of a merchant father and a poet mother. As a child, he attended school at Kallafo in the Ogaden, and studied English, Arabic, and Amharic. In 1963, three years after Somalia's independence, Farah...
, University Press of Virginia, 2005 - In The United States of Africa (novel), translation by David and Nicole Ball, prefaced by Percival EverettPercival EverettPercival Everett is an American writer and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California.-Life:Everett lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife, novelist Danzy Senna and their two sons....
, University Press of Nebraska, March 2009.