Emmanuel Dongala | |
|---|---|
 Emmanuel Dongala during the Geneva Book Fair 2011. | |
| Born | (1941-06-14)June 14, 1941 (age 83) Brazzaville, Republic of Congo |
| Occupation | chemist, novelist |
| Nationality | Congolese |
| Education | Oberlin College (BA) Rutgers University (MS) University of Montpellier (Ph.D.) |
| Notable works |
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Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala (born 1941) is aCongolesechemist andnovelist. He was born in Brazzaville,Republic of Congo, in 1941.[1] He wasRichard B. Fisher Chair in Natural Sciences atBard College at Simon's Rock until 2014.[2]
As a chemist, his specialty isstereochemistry andasymmetric synthesis, as well asenvironmental toxicology.
He is the author of a number of award-winning novels includingJohnny Mad Dog (French:Johnny chien méchant) andLittle Boys Come from the Stars.
Dongala traveled to theUS to obtain hisBA in Chemistry fromOberlin College and hisMS fromRutgers University before earning aPh.D. in chemistry at theUniversity of Montpellier inFrance, then returned to the Congo to teach polymeric chemistry atMarien Ngouabi University.[1] In 1981, he cofounded Le Théâtre de l'Eclair with author Léandre-Alain Baker.[3] In 1997, he was dean ofMarien Ngouabi University inBrazzaville when war broke out in the Republic of Congo. The civil war of 1997-1998 forced Dongala and his family to abandon their possessions and seek asylum in the United States. Through his literary connections, particularly through his friendPhilip Roth, Dongala obtained a teaching position atBard College inMassachusetts for bothchemistry andliterature.[4] At first he wanted to return to his country to be with his colleagues and improve theUniversity of Brazzaville, however, Dongala ultimately decided to stay in the States to pursue both his career as a chemistry professor and as an author.[1]
With his works, Dongala widened his audience from the Congo to all former French colonies inAfrica. His themes address Frenchcolonization and the resulting complex economic, social, and political problems shared acrossFrancophone countries.[1] Dongala hopes to unite African francophones through these shared hardships across borders and coined the expression "écrits transnationaux," meaning "transnational writings."[1] He believes authors should be like a "griot," a type of African bard, who has the important role to both "entertain and instruct at the same time" for francophone Africa as a whole.[1] In his novels, Dongala strives to confront issues of societal wrongs, cultural traditions, and conformist thinking.[1]
Dongala's work is featured in thePenguin Book of Modern African Poetry, and he has been the recipient of aGuggenheim Fellowship. There is a film based on his bookJohnny Mad Dog, a 2008 French-Liberian film directed byJean-Stéphane Sauvaire and starring Christopher Minie, Daisy Victoria Vandy, Dagbeh Tweh, Barry Chernoh, Mohammed Sesay and Joseph Duo. He was winner of the 2004Cezam Prix Littéraire Inter CE forJohnny chien méchant.[5]
Dongala won the Grand Prix Littéraire de l'Afrique Noire in 1988 forLe Feu des origines.[6] This work also won him le Prix Charles Oulmont from the Fondation de France (1988).[3]
ForLes Petits Garçons naissent aussi des étoiles, Dongala received le Prix RFI-Témoin du Monde in 1998.[3]
He became the laureate of the Fonlon-Nichols de l'excellence littéraire from the African Literature Association in 2003 for his "literary creativity" and "his contribution to the fight for the rights of man, particularly for the freedom of expression."[1][3]
Though he was not widely known at the time, Dongala's name appeared in press in Paris after Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's filmJohnny Mad Dog was released in 2008.[3]
His work,Photo de groupe au bord du fleuve won him both the Le Prix Virilo in 2010, Le Prix Ahmadou Kourouma in 2011, and Le Prix Mokanda in 2013.[7][8]
