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In Koli Jean Bofane

イン・コリ・ジャン・ボファネ

In Koli Jean Bofane

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1954-10-24 （Mbandaka, Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo)）
Nationality
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Languages
French
Residence History
Mbandaka → Belgium (residence/visits) → Kinshasa → Brussels (permanently settled 1993)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Children's writer, Publisher
Active Years
1996-

Awards

Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire
2009
Organization: Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire (awarding body)
Result: 受賞
Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie
2015
Organization: Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (related body)
Result: 受賞
Grand prix du roman métis
2014
Work: Congo Inc.: Le testament de Bismarck
Organization: Grand prix du roman métis (awarding body)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Pourquoi le lion n'est plus le roi des animaux

1996 Children's literature

A short children's story; the author's first book, published in 1996.

fableanimalsmorality

Bibi et les Canards

2000 Children's literature

A children's work depicting local life from a child's perspective.

childhoodlocal life

Mathématiques congolaises

2008 Novel

A novel satirically portraying realities of the Congo, dealing with social and political themes.

satirepoliticspost-colonialism

Congo Inc.: Le testament de Bismarck

2014 Novel

A long novel depicting globalization, conflicts over resources, corruption and economic power; one of his internationally recognized works.

corruptionresources and economyglobalization

Bibliography

  • Pourquoi le lion n'est plus le roi des animaux (1996)
  • Bibi et les Canards (2000)
  • Mathématiques congolaises (2008)
  • Congo Inc.: Le testament de Bismarck (2014)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
satirical, socially and politically engaged realist prosenarration blending humor and dark irony
Recurring Motifs
post-colonial conditionscorruption and powerurban life and migrationexile and diaspora

Legacy

In Koli Jean Bofane, a Francophone writer from the Congo, is internationally recognized for works depicting post-colonial realities, corruption, and struggles over resources. He has received several Francophone literary prizes and is regarded as an important voice in contemporary African literature addressing migration and diaspora.

Trivia

  • His mother left his father for a Belgian settler and he grew up mainly on his stepfather's coffee plantation.
  • After independence in 1960 the family lost its possessions and moved to Belgium for safety.
  • He worked in advertising in Kinshasa and founded the publishing house Les Publications de l'Exocet.
  • He left the country permanently in 1993 and settled in Brussels.
  • His first children's book (1996) won a major Belgian literary prize.