Naivo

About

Naivo, whose full name is Naivoharisoa Patrick Ramamonjisoa, is a Malagasy novelist, journalist, and writer of historical fiction. Born in Madagascar, he has worked as a journalist in his home country and as a teacher in Paris before settling in Ottawa, Canada. His writing explores Malagasy history, cultural traditions, and the encounters between African societies and Western influences. His debut novel, Beyond the Rice Fields, was originally published in French in 2012 and later translated into English by Allison M. Charette in 2017. It became the first novel from Madagascar to be translated into English, introducing international readers to a largely underrepresented literary tradition. The novel draws on nineteenth-century Malagasy history, particularly the political upheavals, religious conflicts, and persecution that accompanied the arrival of European missionaries. Naivo has also written short stories, including Dahalo, which received the RFI/ACCT prize in 1996, and Iarivomandroso, which was adapted for the stage in Antananarivo. His short-story collection Madagascar entre poivre et vanille explores the country’s political and social complexities. Through his work, Naivo seeks to recover neglected aspects of Malagasy history and examine how the past continues to shape the nation’s cultural identity.