Madame Livingstone: The Great War in the Congo - Softcover

Cassiau-Haurie, Christophe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1946395471 ISBN 13: 9781946395474

Publisher: Catalyst Press, 2021

Synopsis

Madame Livingstone is based on the true story of the unlikely partnership between a Belgian and an African who were responsible for the sinking of a German battleship in the Congo during the First World War. Aviator Gaston Mercier, lieutenant in the Royal Belgian Army, arrives at Lake Tanganyika, Congo in 1915 on orders to sink a critical German warship, the Graf Von Götzen. To find out the ship’s exact position, he is assigned a guide, an enigmatic, mixed-race African and the supposed son of the famous explorer David Livingstone who is nicknamed “Mrs. Livingstone” for the Scottish kilt he wears. Little by little, while the war between Belgian and German colonial powers rages on and the pair hunt down the Graf Von Götzen, the young Belgian pilot learns more about the land around him from Mrs. Livingstone and discovers the irrevocable and tragic effects of colonialism on the local people. A historical fiction story of adventure and friendship against the backdrop of World War I in Africa, Madame Livingstone was originally published in France by Glénat in 2014. The graphic novel is authored by historian and comics specialist Christophe Cassiau-Haurie and Congo's unique beauty is presented in full color illustrations by beloved Congolese artist Barly Baruti.

About this title

About the Authors

Born in Douala, Cameroon in 1968 and raised in France, Christophe Cassiau-Haurie is a library curator and comics specialist. He is currently Director of Public Services for the National and University Library of Strasbourg, after having held several positions in Africa including time in Mauritius and five years in the DRC. He also serves as director of the comic book collection of L'Harmattan, one of the largest French book publishers. Cassiau-Haurie is the author of several articles and collective works on the state of publishing and comics in Africa. He has authored and contributed to numerous graphic novels in French, most of which are based on African histories. He did his postgraduate studies in African Studies and Public Law.

Baruti Kandolo Lilela, better known by his pen name Barly Baruti, is a renowned Congolese cartoonist. He was born in 1959 in Kisangani into a family of painters. After studying pedagogy, Baruti worked at French cultural centers in Kisangani and Kinshasa, where he produced his first comic work, an environmental comic titled Le temps d’agir. He has been described by the BBC as "the Congolese author best known outside his country.” Baruti is the co-founder of the Atelier de Création et de l'Initiation à l'Art (Creative Workshop for an Initiation to Art) to encourage talented youth in Kinshasa. He has lived in France and Belgium, where he apprenticed with several renowned comic artists. He currently lives in Kinshasa. In 2023, Barly was named Facilitator of Partnerships and Cultural Relations in Europe by the Congolese Ministry of Culture.

Ivanka Hahnenberger is a Franco-American citizen who has led an international career in business management, finance, film, television and digital production. Ivanka started her professional career as an investment-banking analyst. From there she became a production accountant, working on commercials then feature films with a specialty in special effects and animation. She became an associate producer and eventually a producer for international film and television productions and co-productions, primarily in animation. Then, in 2003, she co-founded Roving Stage Productions, a production and consulting company focusing on mobile and new media content, which she still manages. In 2007 she bought a brand licensing company VIP which she transformed into VIP BRANDS a comics agency, translation and consulting company. As an agency they represent world English rights for German, French and African comics publishers. As a consultancy they organize world comics events. Hahnenberger translates comics, children’s books, catalogs, business proposals marketing plans and much more from French and German into English. She has translated Blue is the Warmest Colour by Julie Maroh and An Olympic Dream by Reinhard Kleist, amongst other books, as well as Nudge theory white papers and several catalogs. She holds a Master’s degree in International Development with a specialization in Intellectual Property. She has lived in over ten different cities.

Edition details

• Publisher: Catalyst Press
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1946395471
• ISBN 13: 9781946395474
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Kandolo Lilela Baruti
• Number of pages: 132