Discussion with Djaïli Amadou Amal on Le harem du roi

Djaïli Amadou Amal condemns early and forced marriages in Cameroon in her novel Les impatientes (Éditions Emmanuelle Collas, 2020), which won the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens in 2020 and sold over 500,000 copies. In Cœur du Sahel (EEC, 2022), she continues to explore the complexity of her homeland’s customs and the condition of women. With Le harem du roi (EEC, 2024), her latest novel, she breaks the taboos surrounding polygamy, denounces sexual slavery, and gives a voice to those whose existence often goes unnoticed. Indeed, while the transatlantic slave trade is well-documented, to this day, slavery within chieftaincies remains largely unknown. Through her writings, the author calls attention to ancestral practices still present in contemporary Cameroon.

Interview conducted by Pascal Schouwey, freelance journalist