Marguerite Abouet and her graphic novel series "Aya"

In response to our post, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich posted a wonderful link on the African Village Libraries Ning Network forum that is definitely worth sharing.  It is an interview with the Ivorian author Margurite Abouet about her graphic novel series, Aya.  Abouet has also founded a literacy organization, "Des Livres Pour Tous" which has opened a library in Abidjan to support literacy education for children who don't normally have access to books. 

I particularly loved her answer to the following question:

What were the 'turning points' for you as a young reader? What literature do you continue to treasure? What made you think?
I have always treasured the stories that my maternal grandfather told me around the fire during the holidays in the village. All of those stories in our oral tradition were rich, imaginative accounts of mythology, wonderful tales. He taught me to pay attention to what occurred around me, to listen to the stories, and then become a storyteller. These stories of the Ivory Coast provided fertile ground for my imagination. Then when I arrived in Paris, I discovered the libraries and I started to devour all kinds of literature. The 4 girls of Doctor March, Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Shakespeare, Maurice Leblanc, Jules Romain, Welles, were my favourites at that time. I loved to read mysteries and try to guess at the culprit in the first pages of the story.

Read more here...
 
I am definitely putting Aya on my list of things to read!  It looks like a feature-length animated film adaptation of Aya is in the works for 2011.  I can't wait!  Thanks Olugbemisola!