OUSMANE SEMBENE

 

Ousmane Sembène (1923 – 2007) from Senegal was one of the greatest authors in African history. His early novel was Le Docker Noir (The Black Docker, 1956. His second novel was  O Pays, mon beau peuple! (Oh country, my beautiful people!, 1957), Sembène's masterpiece is Les Bouts de Bois de Dieu (God’s bits of Wood) although the later Xala was also acclaimed. His last novel was Le Dernier de l’empire (The Last of the Empire, 1981) which depicted corruption and an eventual military coup in a newly independent African nation.

Les Bouts de Bois de Dieu in particular cemented Sembène as one of the most outstanding African writers. Sembene was to state that alas, he realized that his written works would only be read by a relatively small elite and he decided to become a film maker; which he did with extraordinary success.

Published works:

Le Docker noir (novel) translated as The Black Docker

O Pays, mon beau peuple! (novel) - 1957

Les bouts de bois de Dieu (novel) - 1960; translated as God's Bits of

Wood.

Voltaïque (short stories) translated as Tribal Scars 1975.

L’Harmattan (novel)

Le mandat, précédé de Vehi-Ciosane translated as The Money-Order with White Genesis

Xala

Le dernier de l'Empire- L'Harmattan, 1981; translated as The Last of the Empire

Niiwam translated as Niiwam and Taaw:

Studies:

Ousmane Sembène écrivain populaire by Hilaire Sikounmo 

Ousmane Sembène the making of a militant artist by Samba Gadjigo 

A new kind of man the representation and significance of women in the
works of Ousmane Sembene by Dwayne Marshall Baker