Boubacar Boris Diop to receive Lifetime Achievement Award in Kigali

Senegalese author Boubacar Boris Diop has been selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the third edition of the Radiate Rwanda Awards. The ceremony is scheduled to take place in Kigali on November 6, 2026.

Organized by Bridgevision in partnership with UNESCO Rwanda, the award recognizes Diop’s “considerable work.” Unlike other laureates chosen by a five-person local jury, Diop was selected via direct nomination by the organizer.

Diop is a prominent novelist, playwright, and journalist known for his work regarding the Rwandan genocide, specifically his novel “Murambi, le livre des ossements.” He has previously received the Grand Prix littéraire d’Afrique noire and the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Observers have noted a lack of significant coverage regarding this international distinction within the Senegalese national press.