The Flemish Literature Fund supports Dutch-language literature in Belgium and abroad.
Flemish author Lieve Joris was awarded the Prix Nicolas Bouvier for her most recent work, ‘De hoogvlaktes', translated into French as ‘Les Hauts Plateaux'. The price is worth 5.000 euro and was awarded on 1 June during the French festival 'Étonnants Voyageurs de Saint-Malo'.
The book was translated by Marie Hooghe and published by Actes Sud. It is Joris' fourth title about Congo. ‘De hoogvlaktes' (The upland plains) tells the story of a seven-week hiking trip in the eastern part of the African country. Joris walked through a remote and desolate region, inhabited by farmers and Banyamulenge cattlemen who escaped the Belgian colonisation. In this barren land the memories of her village and her youth resurge.
The award was named after Swiss travel writer Nicolas Bouvier, an icon in the French-speaking world. In May, the Dutch translation of his most influential work, ‘L'usage du monde' (‘The way of the world'), was presented in Amsterdam. The Prix Nicolas Bouvier was awarded for the third time. Previous winners are David Fauquemberg (France) and Blaise Hofmann (Switzerland).
This is the second French prize for Joris. In 1999, ‘Mali Blues' was awarded the Prix de l'Astrolabe.
