Ahmadou Kourouma

Ahmadou Kourouma (1927–2003) was an Ivorian writer and one of the significant African authors of the 20th century. After serving in the French army, including a posting to Indochina, he worked as an insurance mathematician. Because of a play he had written, he spent about twenty years in exile, first in Cameroon and later in Togo. His novels are known for their critical, often satirical perspective and their distinctive use of the French language. Kourouma died in Lyon in 2003.