Alpha Coulibaly sets off from his home in Côte d’Ivoire, bound for Paris, where his sister-in-law has a hair salon near the Gare du Nord. Alpha’s wife Patience and son Badian left for Paris months ago, travelling without visas, and he has heard nothing from them since. He carries their photograph close to his heart as he crosses the continent and meets an unforgettable cast of ‘adventurers’ seeking a better life. A timely and important graphic novel, Alpha is presented in first person illustrated diary format and sears the heart.
Author
Bessora
Bessora is a doctor of anthropology and a prize-winning novelist. Her novel, Les Taches d’Encre, won the Felix Fénéon prize and her Cueillez-moi Jolis Messieurs won the Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique Noire. Bessora was born in Brussels and grew up in Europe, America and Africa.
Barroux
Barroux was born in Paris and spent much of his childhood in North Africa. He studied at the famous École Estienne and École Boule, and is now renowned for his children’s book illustrations. Barroux’s books include Uncle John and the Giant Cherry Tree, winner of the Enfantaisie Award, and Line of Fire – Diary of an Unknown Soldier (On Les Aura!). Julia Eccleshare says, “Line of Fire is one of the most extraordinary – and beautiful – books about the First World War… Through Barroux’s wonderful illustrations readers emphasise absolutely with the soldier’s experience. A striking and unforgettable black and white graphic novel.”
Translator
Sarah Ardizzone
Sarah Ardizzone has translated forty-something titles from the French, winning several awards – including the Scott-Moncrieff Prize for Just Like Tomorrow by Faïza Guene. She has a special interest in translating sharp dialogue, urban and migrant slang, and in what the Congolese writer Alain Mabanckou calls “a world literature in French”. Sarah appears regularly on the book festival and live literature circuit, and curates educational programmes around translation – including Translation Nation, Translators in Schools, The Spectacular Translation Machine and The Big Translate.
Published by
Barrington Stoke, 2016
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Alpha Coulibaly sets off from his home in Côte d’Ivoire, bound for Paris, where his sister-in-law has a hair salon near the Gare du Nord. Alpha’s wife Patience and son Badian left for Paris months ago, travelling without visas, and he has heard nothing from them since. He carries their photograph close to his heart as he crosses the continent and meets an unforgettable cast of ‘adventurers’ seeking a better life. A timely and important graphic novel, Alpha is presented in first person illustrated diary format and sears the heart.