Aya de Yopougon: A Comic-Book Window onto 1970s Abidjan

To understand everyday life in Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer), you don't have to start with a history book. The French-language comic Aya de Yopougon depicts the friendships, families and love lives of young people in a working-class Abidjan neighbourhood in the 1970s, with humour and warmth. It won a prize at France's Angoulême comics festival and has been translated into many languages, making it an easy way into Côte d'Ivoire.

The authors and the story

The series is written by Marguerite Abouet, an Ivorian-born writer based in Paris, and drawn by the French cartoonist Clément Oubrerie. It is set in the Yopougon district of Abidjan in the 1970s, nicknamed "Yop City" in the books.

The heroine, Aya, is a serious, ambitious young woman who dreams of becoming a doctor. Her two best friends, Adjoua and Bintou, are busy with dates, which Aya often watches with a wry eye. Alongside the coming-of-age story, the books bring out small family dramas: Aya's father doesn't take his daughter's medical ambitions seriously, and his promotion to a travelling sales job puts a strain on his marriage. The overall tone is both funny and touching, and the lively local speech is preserved.

Publication and awards

The animated film adapts the first two volumes and was produced by Autochenille Production. Abouet has continued to create, with works such as the Akissi series and Bienvenue, made with Singeon. The illustrator Clément Oubrerie died in Paris in March 2026, aged 59.

Why it's worth reading

First, it shows ordinary urban life in 1970s Côte d'Ivoire. The characters worry about school, work, love and family, giving readers a West African city that isn't boxed in by stereotypes.

Second, its perspective is local. Abouet is herself Ivorian, and the way the characters talk, the comings and goings between neighbours and the family dynamics all offer an insider's view rather than a traveller's gaze.

Third, it is easy to get into. The volumes are short and vividly coloured, and an English edition exists alongside the French original. If you'd rather not read, you can watch the animated film first and come back to the books later.

What to look out for as you read

• Family expectations: how do parents' views of their children's future differ from the young people's own dreams?
• City and work: the father's promotion to travelling salesman reflects changes in urban employment and family life at the time.
• Young women's choices: Aya wants to study and become a doctor while her friends are busy falling in love; the three represent different visions of life.
• Language: the original keeps plenty of local expressions and slang; if you read the English edition, notice how the translator handles them.

One line for Asian readers

If you are heading to Abidjan for business or travel, reading one volume of Aya de Yopougon before you leave will give you a warmer feel for the city's people.

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References: Livres Hebdo – Dénouement final pour Aya de Yopougon (2015); Publishers Weekly – Aya Comes to America; AllAfrica – Clément Oubrerie est mort à 59 ans (2026); African Film Festival NY – Aya of Yop City