Grand Prix of Literary Associations
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (2015) Winner
Cheikh Anta Diop
シェイク・アンタ・ディオプ
Sheiku Anta Diop
Aliases:
Seex Anta Jóob / Cheikh Anta Diop（Wolofの出生名：Seex Anta Jóob）
Pen Names:
Seex Anta Jóob (birth name, Wolof)（Wolof birth name. He is publicly and academically known as Cheikh Anta Diop.）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1923-12-29 （Thieytou (Diourbel Region), French Senegal）
- Died
- 1986-02-07 （Dakar, Senegal） age 62
- Nationality
- Senegalese
- Languages
- French, Wolof
- Religion
- Islam (Mouride)
- Residence History
- Thieytou (birthplace) → Dakar, Senegal → Paris, France
Career
- Occupations
- Historian, Anthropologist, Physicist, Educator, Political activist
- Active Years
- 1946-1986
- Affiliations
- Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN), Collège de France / Institut Pierre et Marie Curie (research affiliation), UNESCO International Scientific Committee (General History of Africa)
- Memberships
- UNESCO International Scientific Committee
- Influenced By
- Gaston Bachelard, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, André Leroi-Gourhan, André Aymard
- Influenced
- John Henrik Clarke, Molefi Kete Asante, Théophile Obenga, Scholars of Afrocentric and postcolonial studies
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Paris (Sorbonne) | Faculty of Arts (Philosophy) | Philosophy | Licence (哲学) | 1946–1948 | France |
| Faculty of Sciences, University of Paris / Science institutions in Paris | Faculty of Sciences (Chemistry) | Chemistry | Diplomas in Chemistry | 1948–1950 | France |
| Doctoral studies (Paris) | Doctor of Letters (PhD/Doctorate) | Interdisciplinary studies in history and Egyptology | Doctorat ès lettres | 1953–1960 | France |
University of Paris (Sorbonne)
Faculty of Arts (Philosophy)
/ Philosophy
Degree:
Licence (哲学)
Period:
1946–1948
Year of Graduation:
1948
Country:
France
Studied philosophy in Paris; obtained a licence in 1948.
Faculty of Sciences, University of Paris / Science institutions in Paris
Faculty of Sciences (Chemistry)
/ Chemistry
Degree:
Diplomas in Chemistry
Period:
1948–1950
Year of Graduation:
1950
Country:
France
Received diplomas in chemistry; later specialized in nuclear physics.
Doctoral studies (Paris)
Doctor of Letters (PhD/Doctorate)
/ Interdisciplinary studies in history and Egyptology
Degree:
Doctorat ès lettres
Period:
1953–1960
Year of Graduation:
1960
Country:
France
Obtained doctorate in 1960; conducted interdisciplinary research in Egyptology, history and anthropology.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | World Festival of Black Arts: Most Influential African Intellectual (joint) | — | — | World Festival of Black Arts (Dakar) | 受賞 |
| 2015 | GPLA Grand prix de la mémoire (posthumous) | — | — | Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) | 受賞（追贈） |
World Festival of Black Arts: Most Influential African Intellectual (joint)
1966
Organization:
World Festival of Black Arts (Dakar)
Result:
受賞
GPLA Grand prix de la mémoire (posthumous)
2015
Organization:
Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA)
Result:
受賞（追贈）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Nations nègres et culture
1954 History / Cultural theoryArgues for continuity across African cultures, linking ancient Egypt to broader African cultural revival.
Ancient EgyptCultural continuityAfricanism
Translations
- Portions translated later and included in The African Origin of Civilization
The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality
1974 History / Scholarly essayA major work arguing for African origins and affinities of ancient Egyptian civilization using historical, anthropological and scientific evidence.
Race and ethnicityArchaeological evidenceScientific method
Translations
- Partial and full translations exist in multiple languages (English translation widely cited)
Bibliography
- Nations nègres et culture (1954)
- The Cultural Unity of Black Africa (1959)
- The African Origin of Civilization (1974)
- Civilization or Barbarism (c.1981)
Translations of Works
- The African Origin of Civilization (translated into English and other languages)
- The Cultural Unity of Black Africa (English translation available)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Interdisciplinary (history, anthropology, physics, linguistics)Polemic and essayisticArgumentative, emphasizes scientific data
- Recurring Motifs
- Emphasis on the African character of ancient EgyptCritique of Western scholarly biasCalls for African unity and renaissance
Legacy
Cheikh Anta Diop provoked extensive debate by arguing for continuity between ancient Egypt and Africa, influencing Afrocentric and postcolonial scholarship. Controversial but foundational for interdisciplinary approaches to African history; his name endures in institutions such as Cheikh Anta Diop University.
Archives
- Archives of IFAN (Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire)
In Popular Culture
- Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar named in his honor
- Iconic figure in African history and Black cultural revival movements
Quotes
-
When will we be able to speak of an African Renaissance?
Source: Article in Musée vivant (special issue, 1948) (1948)
Trivia
- He did not personally describe himself as an Afrocentrist, despite being foundational to Afrocentric ideas.
- Reported to have translated parts of Einstein's Theory of Relativity into Wolof.
- Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar is named after him.
- In 1966 he was named (jointly with W.E.B. Du Bois) one of the most influential African intellectuals at the World Festival of Black Arts.