Literature of Burkina Faso

Literature of Burkina Faso

The literature of Burkina Faso was originally based around the oral tradition. This remains important. In 1934, during French occupation, Dim-Dolobsom Ouedraogo published his "Maximes, pensées et devinettes mossi" ("Maximes, Thoughts and Riddles of the Mossi"), a record of the oral history of the Mossi people. The oral tradition continued to have an influence on Burkinabé writers in the post-independence Burkina Faso of the 1960s, such as Nazi Boni and Roger Nikiema. The 1960s saw a growth in the number of playwrights being published. Since the 1970s, literature has developed in Burkina Faso with many more writers being published.

Early literature and colonial times

Prior to colonisation, written literature was virtually absent in Burkina Faso, like much of Africa.cite book
last = Marchais
first = Julien
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Burkina Faso
publisher = Petit Futé
date =
location =
pages = 91–92
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6jsBLSzJWYsC
language = French
isbn =2746916010
] The oral tradition has always been important to the many ethnic groups, sustaining the cultural diversity of the country.cite book
last = Salhi
first = Kamal
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Francophone Voices
publisher = Intellect Books
date = 1999
location =
pages = 37
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=G9u9TeDegXMC
isbn =1902454030
] Culture has been transmitted orally through music and dance. This has been described by Titinga Frédéric Pacéré in his 1992 book "Le language des tam-tams et des masques Afrique", emphasising the importance in many of Burkina Faso's ethnic groups of griots, and the older members of the communities.

In 1934, Dim-Dolobsom Ouedraogo wrote his book "Maximes, pensées et devinettes mossi" ("Maximes, Thoughts and Riddles of the Mossi"), recording the oral history of the Mossi kingdom which gave rise to Burkina Faso.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Burkina Faso literature at a glance
work =
publisher = The University of Western Australia
date = 2006-11-10
url = http://aflit.arts.uwa.edu.au/CountryBurkinaFasoEN.html
accessdate =2008-06-06
]

Post-independence

The first novel by a Burkinabé writer was "Crépuscule des temps anciens" ("The Dawn of Ancient Times" or "The Twilight of the Bygone Days") by Nazi Boni, published in 1962.cite book
last = Gikandi
first = Simon
authorlink =
coauthors = Michel Tinguiri
title = Encyclopedia of African literature
publisher = Taylor & Francis
date = 2003
location =
pages = 102
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hFuWQmsM0HsC
isbn =0415230195
] Boni was an important political figure in his country's independence and political issues informed his writing. His novel explores the traditions of the Bwamu people and has been called an "ethnographic novel".cite book
last = Allan
first = Tuzyline Jita
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Women's Studies Quarterly: Teaching African Literatures in a Global Literary
publisher = Feminist Press
date = 1997
location =
pages = 86
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QD8TgZVWugYC
isbn =155861169X
] [cite book
last = Kevane
first = Michael
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Women and Development in Africa: How Gender Works
publisher = Lynne Rienner Publishers
date = 2004
location =
pages = 74
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OfNcPaOjLhsC
isbn =1588262383
] The second Burkinabé novel was Roger Nikiema's 1967 book "Dessein contraire".

During the 1960s, there was also a proliferation of theatre works. Playwrights that became prominent in this time included Ouamdégré Ouedraogo with "L'avare Moaga: comédie des moeurs" ("Miser Moaga: a Comedy of Manners"), Pierre Dabiré with "Sansoa" and Moussa Savadogo with "Fille de le Volta" ("Daughter of the Volta") and "L'oracle" ("The Oracle"). [cite book
last = Gassner
first = John
authorlink =
coauthors = Edward Quinn
title = The Reader's Encyclopedia of World Drama
publisher = Courier Dover Publications
date = 2003
location =
pages = 9
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=oPOQf26l-PEC
isbn =0486420647
] [cite book
last = Gérard
first = Albert S.
authorlink =
title = European-language Writing in Sub-Saharan Africa
publisher = John Benjamins Publishing Company
date = 1986
location =
pages = 596
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gt07FgJovZEC
isbn =9630538334
]

In the 1970s, the next generation of Burkinabé novelists included Augustin-Sondé Coulibaly, Kollin Noaga and Etienne Sawadogo. More recent writers include Jacques Prosper Bazié, Ansomwin Ignace Hien, Jean-Baptiste Somé, Pierre Claver Ilboudo and Norbert Zongo. From the 1980s, women writers in Burkina Faso began to be puvlished including Pierrette Sandra Kanzié, Bernadette Dao, Angèle Bassolé Ouédraogo, Gaël Koné, Monique Ilboudo, Suzy Henrique Nikiéma, Sarah Bouyain and Adiza Sanoussi. A particularly noted writer has been Frédéric Pacéré Titinga.

ee also

* List of Burkinabé writers

References


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