Calixthe Beyala

Claudia Martinek

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 8.2.1: Francophone African Writing and Culture: Subsaharan.
Vol. editors: Helen Rachel Cousins (Birmingham Newman University)

Dates

Born 1961
Activity 1987-ongoing

Places

Born in Cameroon
Active in France

Cultural Identities

Activities

Primary

Novelist

Resources

Beyala's Works

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Calixthe Beyala is one of the most controversial figures on the contemporary African literary scene, and she is also one of the most prolific francophone writers of African origin. She has published twelve novels and two essays in major French publishing houses and has been awarded several prizes, such as the

Grand prix littéraire de l'Afrique noire

(1993), the

Prix François Mauriac de l'Académie française

(1994), the

Prix tropique

(1994) and the prestigious

Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française

(1996). Despite this tremendous success, the author is far from being universally appreciated. She has been confronted with accusations of plagiarism, pornography, hatred towards men and of having become estranged from her African origins. Particularly male African critics have…

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1088 words

Citation: Martinek, Claudia. "Calixthe Beyala". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 January 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5874, accessed 25 November 2024.]