"Having failed his examinations at college, Medza returns to his village in the Southern Cameroons in some trepidation. But to his surprise he finds that as a scholar (even a failed one) his prestige is immense. A young woman has run off with a man from another tribe: so Medza is entrusted with the delicate task of retrieving her. When he reaches her village he has to wait for her return from another adventure, so he stays with his uncle, who passes him off as a prodigy of learning. Medza is entertained, loaded with gifts (most of which his uncle filches), consulted like an oracle, and even---... continue
"In his will, Senhor da Silva Araujo has left a memoir that is a touching web of elaborate self-deceptions. He desired so ardently to prosper, to be taken seriously, and to join (perhaps, if they would have him) the exclusive Gremio country club. But most of all, he wanted to be a good man. And yet, shady deals, twists of fate, an illegitimate child: such is the lot of poor, self-critical Senhor da Silva Araujo. A bit like Calvino's Mr. Palomar in his attention to protocol and in his terror of life's passions; a bit like Svevo's Zeno (a little pompous, a little old-fashioned, and often hapless... continue
The first novel by a female author to be published in Cape Verde, and the first to be translated into English, The Madwoman of Serrano is a magical tale of rural ideals and urban ambition, underpinned by an exploration of female empowerment. Serrano is an isolated village where a madwoman roams. But is she really mad or is she marginalised because she is wise and a woman? Could her babbling be prophecy? One day a girl falls from the sky and is found in the forest by Jeronimo. The villagers are suspicious of the newcomer, but Jeronimo falls in love with her. When she gives birth and disappears,... continue
A boy from the Central African Republic leaves his village on a brief vacation that becomes a lengthy absence as he makes many new friends and gets an education.
Dans ce recueil de nouvelles, se déroule devant nous la vie des Centrafricains, enfants de la rue, chasseurs, chercheurs de diamants, pêcheurs des rives de l'Oubangui voire grands commerçants. Une vie, et aussi une mort, où se mêlent étroitement modernité et tradition, réalité et mystères. Ignorer ce métissage serait ne pas comprendre la vie des Centrafricains de Bangui et d'ailleurs. Il exprime aussi la révolte d'une jeunesse contre la politique du ventre, la corruption, les dictateurs souvent décriés par ceux qui les ont façonnés, la misère des enfants de la rue comme celle des émigrés et ce... continue
Co-Wives, Co-Widows is the first adult work of fiction from the Central African Republic to be translated into English. This is the story of Ndongo Passy and Grekpoubou, the two widows of Lidou. Following their husband's sudden and unexplained death, they find themselves fighting tooth and nail for all that is important to them. A playful, bittersweet, story full of dry wit and local colour, set against a backdrop of political instability, corruption and the friction between the old and the new in Bangui in the Central African Republic.