Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo
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| Born | February 8, 1967 |
| Nationality | Côte d'Ivoire, Canada |
| Occupation | poet, journalist |
Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo was born on February 8, 1967. She is a talented poet and journalist from Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) who also became a Canadian citizen. Angèle is known for her amazing writing. She has won the Trillium Book Award and was nominated for the Ottawa Book Award.
Biography
Early Life
Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo was born in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. She grew up in a country then called Republic of Upper Volta, which is now known as Burkina Faso.
When she was a child, Angèle loved to read. Her local librarian noticed how much she enjoyed books. He even taught her to be his assistant. This allowed her to read many more books than usual.
She wrote her very first poem when she was about 11 or 12 years old. Her brother, Francis, was also a poet. He inspired her to start writing. Later, Francis became a famous poet in Côte d'Ivoire.
When Angèle was 16, her first work was published. It was a poem about Nelson Mandela. He was still in prison in South Africa at the time. The poem was published in France by a magazine called Jeune Afrique.
Education and Career
Angèle studied at the University of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. Later, she received a special grant to move to Canada. There, she continued her studies.
She earned a doctorate degree from the University of Ottawa. A doctorate is the highest university degree you can get. She also got a journalism degree from the Université de Montréal.
Today, Angèle is a researcher at the University of Ottawa. She focuses on women's studies. This field looks at the lives and experiences of women. She is also working on a project. It aims to bring women's studies programs to universities in Africa.
Writing and Achievements
Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo has written several books of poetry. Her 2003 book, Avec tes mots (which means "With Your Words"), won a big prize. It received the Trillium Book Award for French-language poetry.
Another one of her books is called Sahéliennes. This book was nominated for the Ottawa Book Award in 2008. It was also her first work to be translated into Portuguese.
From 2009 to 2012, Angèle worked as an advisor in Burkina Faso. She helped to promote equal rights for men and women.
She has also started her own publishing company in Canada. It is called Éditions Malaïka. Through her company, she wants to publish books that focus on African themes and stories.
