The Institut français celebrates the 70th anniversary of the publication of the first Congolese novel
In Congo-Brazzaville, the literary community is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first Congolese novel. The French Institute of Congo (IFC) in Pointe-Noire hosted this celebration of Congolese literature yesterday, Saturday, November 18. It was in 1953 that Congolese author Jean Malonga published his very first novel, paving the way for other novelists who made Congolese literature famous.
A young African woman reading a book (illustrative image). GILKIS/Damon Hyland
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With our correspondent in Brazzaville, Loïcia Martial
Cœur d'arienne is the title of this first novel by Jean Malonga, considered the father of Congolese literature. Blaise Bilombo Samba, a poet by trade, has long read this work, which he describes as a masterpiece: "Cœur d'arienne is a fabulous story. It's a love story between a young white girl, near Ouesso (in the north), and a young African sailor. It's a fabulous story. Of course it's a terrible story because we're under colonization," he describes.
After Cœur d'arienne in 1953, Jean Malonga wrote his second novel three years later, entitled La légende de Mfumu Mamazono. Then, other authors followed: Letembet Ambili, Guy Menga, Henri Lopes, Maxime Ndebeka, Tchicaya Utam-Si, Sony Labou Tansi, Dominique Ngoï Ngala, are among the great names of Congolese literature.
Three Genres
In its seven decades of existence, it has gained notoriety in three genres, according to Blaise Bilombo Samba: "Congolese literature has excelled in novels, poetry and theatre. The writers - born in the 30s and 40s - built what is called the spirit of the Congolese siblings; in the sense that there was no distance between the young writers that we were and the old ones who had all the notoriety of continental literature," he says.
Some, like Alain Mabankou, have built an international reputation. And Congolese literature still has a bright future ahead of it, concludes Blaise Bilombo Samba.
Read alsoCongo-B: death of Henri Lopes, Congolese political figure and man of letters
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