Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-03-27 02:45:00
Yesterday, at the National Library (BN) Anosy, the children of Clarisse Ratsifandrihamanana presented for the first time, 37 years after their mother’s death, her book “Ikalomanga.”
Yesterday, at BN Anosy, the official release of Clarisse Andriamampandry Ratsifandrihamanana’s book “Ikalomanga” took place, published by her children and the Ambozontany editions. In collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Culture and the Malagasy Academy, the event marked a significant milestone in the country’s literary heritage.
“Ikalomanga,” a two hundred and four-page book, printed in two thousand copies, tells the story of a character “Ikalomanga” facing the challenges of life in the capital, separated from his father when he is arrested by the police for unauthorized sale of coffee and tea in front of the Befelatà nana Hospital. This poignant narrative depicts the journey of Ikalomanga, juggling with the vicissitudes of life by working as a “Porter, madame,” working in a home, and many other adventures, until destiny finally brings them together, him and his father, in a happy conclusion. “Our mother left us a precious message to continue to keep her literature alive even after her death. Thus, 37 years after her passing, we see that her works contain a specific and unfamiliar Malagasy vocabulary that deserves to be discovered by all Malagasy people,” emotionally emphasizes Lisy Ratsifandrihamanana, her daughter. “For our next project, we plan to republish her book ‘Ny Zanako,’ which is highly demanded by the public. We all inherited her talent for literature, and we are committed to continue her legacy,” she adds.
“**Exceptional Talent**”
“Ikalomanga” was written in 1967, during the First Republic, in the form of a novel using simple and familiar language, but also containing rare terms absent from the Malagasy dictionary, such as “Diantany” referring to a tradition of sharing territory with migrants, “Mantsasaka” to describe a fruit rotting, or “Baitany” to allude to a deadly disease in zebu cattle and other technical terms. The author masterfully handles the Malagasy language, using ascending gradation from the first sentences of the book to already emphasize the challenges of life.
“This book not only requires the author’s talent but also that of readers to understand the idea she wants to convey. It is much more than just a simple reading; we will buy a hundred copies and even consider making a film to visually share this story for everyone to understand. We plan to create a room in the name of Clarisse Ratsifandrihamanana at the BN, as Dox, Rado, and David Jaomanoro did in the past, as she truly deserves it,” announces Augustin Andriamananoro, Minister of Communication and Culture. In a gesture of generosity, the author’s family donated several copies of “Ikalomanga” to BN as well as the MCC, thus contributing to enriching the Malagasy cultural heritage.
*Nicole Rafalimananjara*
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
