Aya of Yop City is a series of graphic novels written by Marguerite Abouet and drawn by Clément Oubrerie. The original albums were published in France by Gallimard from 2005. The volumes have also been translated into English and published by Drawn & Quarterly.
Although not autobiographical, the story is inspired on the author's life in the Ivory Coast. The authors adapted the first two books into an animated film of the same title, which was released in 2013.
Marguerite Abouet was working as a legal assistant in Paris when she conceived the idea of Aya of Yop City, inspired to create the series by her friends who encouraged her to write stories from her childhood in her native Ivory Coast. She ended up writing up a group of Ivorian teenagers' everyday lives. Later, Clément Oubrerie, animator, artist and children's book illustrator, gained interest in the project, and it eventually became the first graphic novel for both artists.
Inspired by French graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi, Abouet has created a story that depicts the normality of life in the Ivory Coast. Although Abouet has denied that the stories are based on her own life, she admits it is strongly based on people in her childhood in Côte d'Ivoire. The quotidian nature of the stories in Aya of Yop City counters heavily with common conceptions and representation of African life, such as famine, civil war and unhinged wilderness. Abouet's depiction of everyday African life through humor gave western viewers a very different viewpoint of Africa that they are not accustomed to seeing. Through this depiction, Aya of Yop City subverts negative stereotypes that plague Côte d'Ivoire and Africa in general.
Aya of Yop City is a novel that follows the lives of many different people living in the Côte d'Ivoire. All of the characters are connected by the main character, Aya, as she assists and helps them through their various dilemmas and daily issues. The book begins with the birth of the son of Moussa and Adjoua. The wedding between Moussa and Adjoua is canceled when they discover the child is not Moussa's. He begins to work for his father. His father seems to be very hard on him, but at the same time Moussa is extremely lazy and does not really do much. At work he tends to hit on the women workers, and is always being yelled at by his father. All the while Adjoua is selling fritters at the market trying to provide for her son. Aya takes care of Adjoua's son the majority of the time and is always helping Adjoua while trying to keep up with her schoolwork at the same time. While this is occurring, Aya's friend Bintou begins seeing a Parisian man named Gregoire.
Another character in the story, Herve, goes to Aya for help. He works fixing cars and is going to end up taking over the business since the owner is sick. However, he does not know how to read and write. It is because of this that he goes to Aya and asks her if she is able to teach him about letters. Aya agrees, as she is always helping out her friends and family. Nevertheless, Aya also has some problems of her own - a secret her father Ignace has been hiding for a long time has the power to destroy her family.
| No. | Original French release date | Individual English releases | Omnibus English releases | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 November 2005 | "Aya" | "Aya: Life in Yop City" | |
| 2 | 29 September 2006 | "Aya of Yop City" | ||
| 3 | 9 October 2007 | "Aya: The Secrets Come Out" | ||
| 4 | 21 November 2008 | "Aya: Love in Yop City" | ||
| 5 | 5 November 2009 | |||
| 6 | 25 November 2010 | |||
| 7 | 14 September 2022 | "Aya: Claws Come Out" | ||
| 8 | 15 November 2023 |
The French series is called Aya de Yopougon. The volumes do not have individual titles, only volume numbers (Tome 1, Tome 2, etc.).
Aya of Yop City is set in Côte d'Ivoire during the 1970s and 1980s. Specifically, the story takes place in Yopougon-Koute, or Yop City for short. Côte d'Ivoire, a country on the west coast of Africa, was colonized by France until August 7, 1960, when the country received its independence. Félix Houphouët-Boigny led the country after gaining independence until 1993. During this time, Côte d'Ivoire kept close ties with its West African neighbors as well as ties to France. This combination of influences created a unique culture where traditional African culture meshed with modern Western ideals. The post-colonial influence was enhanced by the fact that many Europeans, especially the French, moved to the country after they received independence.[1]
When Houphouët-Boigny took the presidency, the country experienced an economic boom, known as the "Ivorian miracle". This boom led to the creation of the middle class. With this rise in wealth for a portion of the country, many were able to send their children to school, especially peasants.[2] A peak in the primary-school enrollment rates, at 9.1% between 1976 and 1980, reflects this change. Education, along with other social influences, made many, mostly women, aware of their rights. This began to mix African ideals with European ideals. Women began fighting back against legislation which was aimed at sexual inequality and often succeeded in doing so. As many women became educated, they received more and more power when it came to relationships, especially marriages. Another example of the combination of cultures is language. Throughout the country there are many local languages, but the official language of the country is French.[3] Again, these influences can be seen throughout the novel, especially through the female characters.
Origin of nationalism in Africa
The colonial era in Africa created loosely formed states that contained many different ethnic groups that maintained strong communal values. In the post-colonial era, it became evident that African nations would need to unite in order to form permanent states and establish national governments. This re-branded type of nationalism was created through a collaboration of ideas stemming from traditional communal ties already in existence on the continent, and by the idea of self- determination that was championed by the United Nations. Together, these concepts assisted in the creation of sovereign states in Africa.[4]
African communal identity in the novel
The novel Aya of Yop City encompasses an overall theme of African nationalism, which is exhibited through familial and communal ties within the Ivorian community. Communalism is argued to be a form of nationalism that is unique to Africa because of the continent's history with colonialism. This communal idea of nationalism serves a different purpose than the Eurocentric norm, in that it is focused on obtaining a collective identity that speaks to the shared history of the African people living in a post-colonial era. For example, the characters in the book are not introduced individually, but rather as family members that play complementary roles. This shows how a distinct identity is formed for the dwellers of Yop city, as they navigate their lives in a post-colonial society. The problems that are usually seen as individual or family issues become community-wide issues. For instance, when Adjoua, a teenage girl in the novel, becomes pregnant the community rallies behind her to offer support. Aya watches after Adjoua's child so that she can continue selling items at the market to support her family.[5] This illustrates the strong communal identity that binds the inhabitants of Yop City together.[6]
Artistic style
Clément Oubrerie uses an expressive style that conveys the melodramatic tone of the text. His pencil strokes often go a step beyond reality to express strong emotions and to give his characters a distinct personality. For example, Bonaventure Sissoko is caricatured as a bully archetype: his eyes are completely masked by his bushy eyebrows and his huge bald head is attached directly unto his massive body. This exaggeration technique is used for comic effect and it also gives the readers an immediate impression of Bonaventure's obnoxious personality.[7]
In contrast, Oubrerie's settings are very realistic. He uses a great amount of detail in his backgrounds to depict with accuracy the social and economic environment of post-colonial Ivory Coast in the 70's. Every scene, from the modern Ivorian cityscape to the small-town marketplace, is drawn in minute detail and vibrant colors that give the readers an immersive experience. In addition, Oubrerie's detailed settings help to establish characterization in the story. For example, Bonaventure's pink mansion stands out from all the other houses like a sore thumb in the same way that his body towers over the other characters.
Aya of Yop City debuted to much critical acclaim, receiving a Quill Award nomination, and praise for its accessibility to audiences and for the rare portrait of a warm, friendly, and rather modern Africa. The first album received the Prize for First Album at the 2006 Angoulême International Comics Festival.[8] The series is one of the few works of African fiction in graphic novel form that has gained exposure globally. The novel was well received throughout Africa. In Abouet's native country of Ivory Coast, more affordable copies of the book were made available which contributed to its popularity.
The novel was adapted into an animated film that was released in July 2013. The film was co-directed and written by Abouet and Oubrerie and was produced by Autochenille Production, the studio responsible for the film adaptation of Joann Sfar's The Rabbi's Cat.