Calixthe Beyala (born 1961) is a

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

ian-French writer who writes in French.

Biography

A Cameroonian author and member of the Eton people, Calixthe Beyala was born in Sa'a to Cameroonian parents. Her aunt and grandmother were particularly strong influences on her development, and she grew up listening to her grandmother's stories. Stories from which she drew inspiration and used to motivate her to work hard toward the creation of a meaningful career. Beyala was educated at the École Principale du Camp Mboppi in

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region (Cameroon), Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Ai ...

and went on to study at the Lycée des Rapides à

Bangui Bangui () (or Bangî in Sango, formerly written Bangi in English) is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi ...

and the Lycée Polyvalent de Douala. She eventually won a scholarship to study in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

at the age of seventeen, where she through a strong academic performance obtained a

baccalaureate Baccalaureate may refer to: * ''Baccalauréat'', a French national academic qualification * Bachelor's degree, or baccalaureate, an undergraduate academic degree * English Baccalaureate, a performance measure to assess secondary schools in England ...

. After a few years in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

she published her first book, ''C'est le soleil qui m'a brûlée'', at the age of 23 and eventually chose to become a full-time writer.

Awards

* 1998 - Le Prix comité français de l'UNESCO * 1996 – Grand Prix du Roman de l'

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

* 1994 – Prix François Mauriac de l’Académie française * 1994 – Prix tropique * 1993 – Grand prix littéraire de l’Afrique noire

Works

* ''C'est le soleil qui m'a brûlée'' 1987 Oxford: Heinemann; Librio, 1997, * ''Tu t'appelleras Tanga'', Stock, 1988, * ''Seul le Diable le savait'', Pré aux Clercs, 1990, * ''La négresse rousse'' (1991); Éd. J'ai lu, 1997, * ''Le petit prince de Belleville'', A. Michel, 1992, * ''Maman a un amant'', Editions J'ai lu, 1993, —Grand Prize of Literature of Black Africa * ''Asséze l'Africaine'', A. Michel, 1994, --

François Mauriac François Charles Mauriac (, oc, Francés Carles Mauriac; 11 October 1885 – 1 September 1970) was a French novelist, dramatist, critic, poet, and journalist, a member of the'' Académie française'' (from 1933), and laureate of the Nobel Priz ...

Prize of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

* ''Lettre d'une africaine à ses sœurs occidentales'', Spengler, 1995 * ''Les Honneurs perdus'', A. Michel, 1996, --

Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française Le Grand Prix du Roman is a French literary award, created in 1914, and given each year by the Académie française. Along with the Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French litera ...

* ''La petite fille du réverbère'', Albin Michel, 1998, —Grand Prize of

Unicef UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

* ''Amours sauvages'' Albin Michel, 1999, ; J'ai lu, 2000, * ''Lettre d'une Afro-française à ses compatriotes'', Mango, 2000, * ''Comment cuisiner son mari à l'africaine'', Albin Michel, 2000, * ''Les arbres en parlent encore…'', Librairie générale française, 2004, * ''Femme nue, femme noire'', Albin Michel, 2003, * ''La plantation'', Albin Michel, 2005, * ''L'homme qui m'offrait le ciel: roman'', Albin Michel, 2007, * ''Le Roman de Pauline:roman'', Paris, Albin Michel, 2009 * ''Les Lions indomptables'', Paris, Albin Michel, 2010 * ''Le Christ selon l'Afrique,roman'', Paris, Albin Michel, 2014

English translations

*''Loukoum: the 'little prince' of Belleville'', Translator Marjolijn De Jager, Heinemann, 1995, *''The sun hath looked upon me'', Translator Marjolijn De Jager, Heinemann, 1996, *''Your name shall be Tanga'', Translator Marjolijn De Jager, Heinemann, 1996, *''How to Cook Your Husband the African Way'', Translator David Cohen, Psychology News Press, 2016,

References

External links