Relico Returns to an Eager Literary Public
The courtyard of Les Manguiers bookshop will again echo with the cadence of recitations on 25-27 September as the eighth Congo Literary Season (Relico) convenes. The event, initiated in 2017 under the patronage of Pen Centre Congo, has weathered the pandemic hiatus and now re-emerges at a moment when Brazzaville’s cultural calendar is regaining pre-crisis momentum. Organisers emphasise that this year’s motto, “The book as an instrument of cultural rooting and openness to the world”, resonates with the government’s wider ambition to couple heritage preservation with controlled global engagement.
A Theme Aligned with National Cultural Policy
By foregrounding both rootedness and openness, Relico echoes the Cultural Industries Strategy endorsed by Minister Lydie Pongault, whose portfolio advances President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s vision of culture as a vector of development. Analysts in Brazzaville note that the choice of wording carefully mirrors the National Development Plan 2022-2026, which frames identity affirmation and regional influence as mutually reinforcing pillars (Ministry of Culture 2023).
Jean-Malonga Prize as a Mirror of Literary Pluralism
Central to the season is the Grand Prix Jean-Malonga, created at the second edition and now considered Congo’s most prestigious civil literary distinction. Previous laureates such as Henri Djombo and Nicole Mbala have bridged genres from environmental essays to political allegories, illustrating the prize’s non-sectarian ethos. This year, four distinctions—literature, essay, creation and sponsorship—reaffirm the organisers’ refusal to confine imagination to a single canon while encouraging private patronage to complement public subsidy.
Printed Pages in a Digital Century
Only books already published in hard copy between 2024 and 2025 will be considered, an editorial decision that may appear counter-intuitive in an age of e-readers. Yet Florent Sogni Zaou argues that tangibility safeguards archival durability and provides fairer competition in a country where broadband penetration remains below 35 percent (ITU 2023). The stance also dovetails with Brazzaville’s ongoing programme to refurbish provincial libraries, underscoring state commitment to physical reading spaces.
Gender Balance and the Promise of Emerging Voices
Professor Mukala Kadima-Nzuji, a veteran critic of Central African letters, publicly encouraged increased female participation, noting that “any literature that seeks self-sufficiency is fated to fade”. His exhortation aligns with UNESCO’s Creative Economy Report findings that gender-balanced cultural sectors exhibit stronger export trajectories (UNESCO 2023). Organisers are optimistic: last year’s informal workshops registered a 46 percent female attendance, a figure they expect to surpass.
Dialogues on Genre, Environment and Governance
Beyond awards, Relico’s round-tables will dissect the novel, the essay and poetry before converging on a debate sparked by a recent volume examining President Sassou Nguesso’s environmental agenda. Observers suggest the discussion could illuminate how literary narratives complement governmental conservation drives, notably the country’s leadership within the Congo Basin Blue Fund initiative (African Development Bank 2024).
Cultural Resilience after the Pandemic Interlude
Relico’s two-year suspension in 2021-22 reflected the wider creative sector’s vulnerability to epidemiological shocks. Yet the swift restoration of the festival—without downsizing its programme—demonstrates institutional resilience. According to the Economic Commission for Africa, Brazzaville’s cultural industries contracted by 8 percent during the height of COVID-19 but have since rebounded to outpace pre-crisis turnover by early 2024 (ECA 2024).
Soft-Power Calculus Behind Literary Diplomacy
Diplomats posted in Brazzaville privately concede that Relico functions as an understated soft-power tool. Through curated panels and international juries, the Republic of Congo projects an image of stability and intellectual ferment that contrasts with regional turbulence. Cultural attachés from France, Cameroon and Brazil have confirmed attendance, an early indicator that the festival serves as an informal corridor for back-channel dialogue as much as for book signings.
Economic Ripple Effects for the Publishing Chain
The local publishing ecosystem, still dominated by small-print presses, anticipates a measurable uptick in orders. Proprietor Emilie Eyala notes that submission guidelines already prompted a thirty-percent surge in reprints—welcome news in an industry where runs rarely exceed 1 000 copies. International experience suggests that literary festivals can raise annual book sales by up to 12 percent in host cities (Frankfurt Book Fair Report 2022), a precedent Brazzaville’s printers are eager to replicate.
Literature as a Future-Facing National Asset
Relico’s forthcoming edition thus embodies more than communal admiration for prose and verse. It represents a strategic layering of cultural, economic and diplomatic objectives under a single banner. By championing print culture while fostering conversations that transcend literary borders, Congo-Brazzaville signals that the road to global relevance can logically wind through a modest bookshop shaded by mango trees. Such symbolism, gentle yet deliberate, affirms the administration’s conviction that culture—like the baobab—roots deep, grows patiently and ultimately shelters the polity.
