Drawing on real accounts of the Ebola outbreak that devastated West Africa, Véronique Tadjo’s poignant novel, In the Company of Men, reflects like a fable on both the strength and the fragility of life and humanity’s place in the world. In a series of timely and moving snapshots, the Ivorian writer illustrates the terrible extent of the Ebola epidemic through the eyes of those affected in myriad ways: the doctor who tirelessly treats patients day after day in a sweltering tent, protected from the virus only by a plastic suit; the student who volunteers to work as a gravedigger while universities are closed, helping the teams overwhelmed by the sheer number of bodies; the grandmother who agrees to take in an orphaned boy cast out of his village for fear of infection. And watching over them all is the ancient and wise Baobab tree, mourning the dire state of the earth yet providing a sense of hope for the future.

Véronique Tadjo talks with award-winning poet, Otoniya Juliane Okot Bitek (100 Days), about In the Company of Men,  a tale which is acutely relevant to our times in light of the coronavirus pandemic, exploring critical questions about how we cope with a global crisis and how we can combat fear and prejudice.

About this event’s guests:
Véronique Tadjo
Otoniya Juliane  Okot Bitek

Photo of the author is courtesy of Odile Motelet.

Toronto Public Library is committed to accessibility. Please call or email us if you are Deaf or have a disability and would like to request accommodation to participate in this program. Please let us know as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to meet your request. At least three weeks’ notice is preferred. Phone 416-393-7099 or email accessibleservices@tpl.ca

Véronique Tadjo: In the Company of Men