Ryad Assani-Razaki

Ryad Assani-Razaki
Born	Cotonou, Benin
Occupation	Novelist, short story writer
Nationality	Beninese, Canadian
Period	2010s–present

Ryad Assani-Razaki (born November 4, 1981) is a Beninese-Canadian writer.[1] His debut short story collection Deux cercles won the Trillium Book Award for French-language fiction in 2010,[2] and his novel La main d'Iman won the Prix Robert-Cliche in 2011[3] and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction in 2012.[4]

Born in Cotonou, Benin, Assani-Razaki first moved to North America in 1999, to study computer science at the University of North Carolina.[1] After graduating in 2002, he struggled to find a job until registering for a master's in computer science at the Université de Montréal in 2004.[1] He wrote his first short story in 2006, after witnessing an Asian man struggle to order food in a fast food restaurant because of his difficulties with the language.[1] Deux cercles was published in 2009.[1]

Awards

• 2010 Trillium Poetry Prize
• 2011 Prix Robert-Cliche[5]
• 2012 Governor General's Award for French-language fiction[6]

Gallery

• 
  Ryad Assani-Razaki, Sonja Finck, Heine Haus Düss
• 
  Ryad Assani-Razaki
• 
  Christhard Läpple, Ryad Assani-Razak at the Leipziger book fair

References

1. "Newcomers' struggles on book-award short list: Toronto resident wins nod for 11 stories inspired by individuals he met while an illegal immigrant". Toronto Star, June 22, 2010.
2. "Good things happen when you follow through; Trillium Prize; Karen Solie, Ian Brown among winners". National Post, June 25, 2010.
3. "Ryad Assani-Razaki: le rêve d'ailleurs". La Presse, August 26, 2011.
4. "Littérature - Les noms des finalistes aux Prix du Gouverneur général sont dévoilés". Le Devoir, October 3, 2012.
5. Döbler, Katharina (2014-03-13). "Ryad Assani-Razaki: Der Migrant ist nicht nur der Fremde". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN 0044-2070. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
6. Devoir, Le (2012-10-03). "Littérature - Les noms des finalistes aux Prix du Gouverneur général sont dévoilés". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-22.