Pius Ngandu Nkashama Winner of 2004 Fonlon Award

Born in 1946 in Mbujimayi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and author of over a dozen novels in French plus three in Cilubà, poetry, several plays and a large number of scholarly works on African literature, Pius Ngandu began his literary and academic career in 1971when he was hired at the University Lovanium of Kinshasa.

His novel first novel La mort faite homme (Death Made into Man) dealt with the assassinations in 1969 at Lovanium, and when it was submitted he was promptly jailed. This was the beginning of long record of conflict with the authorities and a distinguished career as an innovative, radical writer. From the beginning Ngandu brought children and youth into his stories, and so can be considered a precursor of much contemporary writing about children at war.

Orbitz

Like many African writers, Ngandu Nkashama lives in exile, his academic career having taken him from the Université de Paris III - Sorbonne Nouvelle, to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

He has had this to say about his circumstances: "It is ever more clear that many African countries have deliberately chosen to send the more turbulent and revolutionary citizens into exile, leaving them no hope of return. This of course allows the wealthy and the oppressors to prolong their monopoly of horror indefinitely" (Mots pluriels).

Il apparaît maintenant de plus en plus clairement que des politiques concertées avaient été pratiquées dans de nombreux pays, pour que les plus turbulents et les plus révolutionnaires se retrouvent à l'étranger, sans nourrir aucun autre espoir de retour, de manière à permettre aux nantis et aux oppresseurs de prolonger
indéfiniment leurs monopoles d'horreurs.

Comments

[Amosa Jumbam]

Thanks for making sure Dr. Fonlon good works never get swept under the rug.
He was a source of inspiration for me and I am sure for millions of others.
Great job.

Amosa J.
New Jersey USA

[Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang CMF]

I am proud to know Dr. Fonlon. It is barely 5 months that I started having interest in his ideals. Among his works I have read, I appreciate THE GENUINE INTELLECTUAL most. I exult all Africans in general and Cameroonians in Particular, to join efforts let us make Fonlon known. I encourage students to take up desertations on this great figure.

[che Ndipewah]

A STUENTS REMEMBER HIS MASTER

[Che Ndipewah]

A student Remember His master.