French Literature Reviews - 2026
C. Cosker, Le Livre de jeunesse et Mayotte. Introduction et guide de lecture
Francophone and Oral Literatures
Christophe Cosker,
Le Livre de jeunesse et Mayotte. Introduction et guide de lecture,
L'Harmattan, 2021.
EAN13 : 9782343220253.
This book offers an anthological overview of children's and young adult literature produced by mainland writers – wazungu – living or having lived in Mayotte. By selecting a representative excerpt from each literary work in a progression from simple to complex, it implicitly tells a distinctly Mahoran story to anyone, regardless of age, who turns its pages.
Beyond its intrinsic value, this volume allows readers curious about Mayotte to complete the island's literary mapping, complementing previous explorations of colonial literature in L’Invention de Mayotte (La Route des Indes, 2019) and postcolonial literature in Anthologie des lettres francophones à Mayotte (L’Harmattan, 2018).
An Agrégé in Modern Letters and PhD in Francophone Literatures, as well as a member of the HCTI and LCF research laboratories, Christophe Cosker is a specialist in Nassur Attoumani, the subject of his doctoral dissertation. He has written several books on this author, notably L’Adolescence mahoraise (Cœlacanthe, 2019), Un ironiste de l’océan Indien (PUI, 2019), and Nassur Attoumani en images (PUI, 2020). His research explores various aspects of literary discourse concerning the Perfume Isle: Petite histoire des lettres francophones à Mayotte (Anibwé, 2015), Anthologie des lettres francophones à Mayotte (L’Harmattan, 2018), and L’Invention de Mayotte (La Route des Indes, 2019). He has taught children's literature in the first and second years of the Modern Letters Bachelor's degree program at the CUFR (University Training and Research Center) of Mayotte.
This volume forms part of a broader scholarly engagement with the literary landscape of Mayotte, following previous critical work on colonial and postcolonial writing from the region. Christophe Cosker brings his expertise in Francophone literatures and regional discourse to examine texts produced by mainland writers living or having lived in Mayotte. By focusing on literature designed for younger audiences, the study contributes to a developing field of research dedicated to exploring the literary traditions of the region.
Readers interested in Francophone regional literatures, Indian Ocean studies, and the development of children's literature in overseas territories may find this reading guide relevant. The book provides an anthological approach that arranges representative excerpts in a progressive order from simple to complex, allowing for a structured exploration of the texts. Through this selection, the volume offers an overview of children's and young adult literature produced by mainland writers in Mayotte.