French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. D. Tang, M.-R. Abomo-Maurin, Terre noire et Afritude
Francophone and Oral Literatures
Alice Delphine Tang and Marie-Rose Abomo-Maurin, Terre noire et Afritude. Jacques Fame Ndongo et l'écriture d'une poétique de la passion, Paris, L'Harmattan, coll. "Littératures et cultures afro-américaines", 2015.
EAN13: 9782343069579
29 EUR
Publisher's Overview
Africa has been exploited to the point of impoverishment, reducing it to a historically dependent continent, and a prevailing perception shaped by this history casts it as an image of desolation. Jacques Fame Ndongo seeks to break away from this conventional mindset and restore the truth, giving this continent—the "cradle of humanity"—its rightful place in the world.
This work offers insights into the origins of humanity and the human ancestor. "Eve was African," the author confides to his interlocutor, reminding readers that Egypt is in Africa. He demonstrates that since time immemorial, Africans have mastered science in all its forms. African genius is real and vibrant. Thus, Jacques Fame Ndongo employs a rhetoric of persuasion that turns speech into action.
Alice Delphine Tang holds a State Doctorate (Docteur d'État), is a Full Professor in Cameroonian universities, teaches at the University of Yaoundé I, and serves as Secretary General of the University of Douala. A specialist in comparative literature and a member of several scholarly societies, she has published ten works of literary criticism and some fifty articles. She directs the "Femmes et savoir" and "Traversée des savoirs" series at Éditions L'Harmattan.
Marie-Rose Abomo-Maurin, HDR, YDE I, CELCFAAM-UEFS (Brazil), external collaborator at LLACAN (CNRS-Villejuif), is also a member of numerous other scholarly societies. An author of critical works, poetry, translations, and award-winning fiction, she directs the "Littératures et cultures afro-américaines" series at Éditions L'Harmattan.
This scholarly study examines the literary and intellectual project of Cameroonian writer and politician Jacques Fame Ndongo, focusing on his engagement with the concepts of black earth and afritude. The authors analyze how his rhetorical strategies seek to dismantle Eurocentric narratives of dependency and desolation, replacing them with a vibrant assertion of African agency, civilizational origins, and intellectual heritage. By emphasizing Africa's foundational role in human history and scientific mastery, the text highlights a passionate discourse aimed at cultural reclamation and the restoration of historical truth.
The book will appeal to scholars, students, and readers interested in contemporary African literature, postcolonial studies, and intellectual history. It offers valuable perspectives on how literary criticism can engage with ideological decolonization and the reaffirmation of identity. Researchers in comparative literature and African cultural studies will find it a compelling resource for understanding the interplay between rhetoric, politics, and artistic expression within the Francophone literary tradition of Cameroon.