Mongo Beti et la fabrique de l’écrivain africain

Authors

Romuald Fonkoua, Sorbonne Université

Abstract

This article analyses the correspondence between Mongo Beti, and his editor, Les Éditions Africaines or Présence Africaine, from the early 50s to 90s. At the beginning of his writer life, Mongo Beti was confronted conditions of publication in French postcolonial era. Because of the political ideology of decolonization that presided over his creation, Présence Africaine (both Revue and publishing Company) seems to have not taking in account the real meaning of writing in French colonial country, the ambitions of young black African writer in the new era and the representation of African literature for him. Through his constant criticism on the way of management of Présence Africaine, Mongo Beti thinks that for an African publisher who presented himself as “révolutionnaire”, the best way to make revolution in African literature is to publish African books and writers with the same (or more) exigences of quality, technicity and professionalism like the other Parisian or European publishers.

Recommended Citation

Fonkoua, Romuald (2022) "Mongo Beti et la fabrique de l’écrivain africain," Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature: Vol. 99: No. 1, Article 7.
Available at: https://crossworks.holycross.edu/pf/vol99/iss1/7