Sylvie Kandé is the author of three collections of poetry published by Gallimard. Her first collection, Lagon, lagunes. Tableau de Mémoire (Gallimard, 2000), was postfaced by Edouard Glissant, while her second, La quête infinie de l’autre rive : épopée en trois chants (Gallimard, 2011), a finalist for the Mahogany Prize and the Prix des Découvreurs, received the 2017 Prix Lucienne Gracia-Vincent. Gestuaire (Gallimard/nrf, 2016), finalist for the Prix Ethiophile and the Prix Kowalski des lycéens, received the 2017 Prix Louise Labé.
A member of PEN (translation committee), she translated Heart of Spain by photographer Robert Capa (Aperture, 2002) and Le Pacte du serpent arc-en-ciel by Alexis Wright (Actes Sud, 2002).
Since 2017, she is heading the Jury du Prix Caraïbes- ADELF.
Holding a Ph.D in African History, she works on the complex conversations that have taken place between Africa and Europe, Africa and its Diasporas. Her areas of specialization include métissage/hybridity and postracial utopias. cf. Terres, urbanisme et architecture 'créoles' en Sierra Leone, 18éme-19ème siècles (L'Harmattan, 1998) and Discours sur le métissage, identités métisses. En quête d'Ariel (L'Harmattan, 1999).
She teaches at SUNY Old Westbury in the History & Philosophy Department.
