Adrienne Yabouza

About

Adrienne Yabouza is a Central African novelist and children’s writer born in 1965 in the Central African Republic. She belongs to the Yakoma community and writes primarily in French, drawing inspiration from the languages, stories, and everyday experiences of women in her homeland. She also speaks Yakoma, Sango, and Lingala. Yabouza began writing as a child but followed a varied professional path before establishing herself as a full-time writer. For many years, she worked as a hairdresser in Bangui, where conversations with women in her neighbourhood and salon helped shape her understanding of their lives, struggles, and aspirations. Her writing often focuses on women’s rights, family relationships, social inequality, and the challenges facing women in Central African society. After fleeing political violence with her five children in 2013, Yabouza sought asylum in France. She later returned to the Central African Republic, continuing to write fiction for both adults and children. Her works include La Maltraite des veuves (2013), Co-épouses et co-veuves (2015), and La Patience du baobab (2018). The English translation of Co-Wives, Co-Widows introduced her work to a wider international audience. Through humour, lively characters, and social commentary, Yabouza brings the experiences of Central African women into contemporary literature.