Dongala, Emmanuel Boundzeki (b. 1941). Congolese novelist and short-story writer. He studied in the Congo, the USA, and France before becoming lecturer in chemistry at the University of Brazzaville. The central character of Un fusil dans la main, un poème dans la poche (1973) is an ex-student who joins the southern African freedom fighters, then becomes leader of his country. It is both a satire on ultra-leftism and a meditation on power in the post-colonial era. The themes of Jazz et vin de palme (short stories, 1982) range from the persistence of belief in the supernatural, through political corruption, to black life in New York. Le Feu des origines (1987) follows one (reputedly immortal) character from the pre-colonial to the post-independence period. Both novels show innovative structure and handling of time. Dongala's works also demonstrate a concern with psychology and with the search for a fusion of traditional wisdom and modern science. While opening up debate on political problems, Dongala does not propose solutions. He consistently attacks the self-seeking of the new political élite; at the same time, he mercilessly punctures Romanticism, refusing to show the pre-colonial period as a golden age.
[Ann Ridehalgh]
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