« Véronique Tadjo has republished her first book of poetry, Latérite (Hatier, 1984). The new book, Red Earth, is an English translation by American poet and translator Peter Thompson. It features the French and English versions en face. The book is also richly illustrated with Tadjo’s original art work.

The new publisher is Eastern Washington University Press (USA), strong in both poetry and translation. There is a preface by Abiola Irele, emphasizing the emotional and interpersonal themes of Red Earth. Thompson’s « Note on Translation » and « Epilogue » describe Tadjo’s work more generally, and focus on the contexts of Négritude and the « language question » in Africa.



Red Earth, as readers of the original Latérite know, is deeply rooted in the north of Ivory Coast, and is strangely colorful and stark at the same time. While describing the landscape, the colors are also those of love, separation and the fractures of modern life. «