Mariama Barry is a Senegalese novelist, specializing in autobiographical fiction. Born in Dakar, she spent her teenage years in Guinea before settling in France, where she is also a practicing lawyer. Her first book, ''La petite Peule'', was published in 2000, then in English translation in 2010 as ''The Little Peul''.
Early life and education
Mariama Barry was born in
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
, the capital of Senegal. Her childhood there was difficult. Because she was born in the capital, her uncles labeled her an ''ndjouddou'', a child born in a foreign land who does not know the codes and traditions of the
Fula people
The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...
of
Fouta Djallon
Fouta Djallon ( ff, 𞤊𞤵𞥅𞤼𞤢 𞤔𞤢𞤤𞤮𞥅, Fuuta Jaloo; ar, فوتا جالون) is a Highland (geography), highland region in the center of Guinea, roughly corresponding with Middle Guinea, in West Africa.
Etymology
The Ful ...
, where her parents originated. She was subjected to
female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...
. A few years later, her parents divorced, and her mother left the children with her father. As the eldest of seven children, she was forced to take charge of managing the household, which impeded her education.
When Barry was a teenager, her father moved the family to
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
. She managed to avoid a forced marriage, with the help of her grandmother. She then left Africa to move to France, where she studied to become a lawyer at the
University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
.
Writing
Having first begun writing as a teenager, Barry started producing works of autobiographical fiction while continuing her legal career in France. Her first book, the autobiographical novel ''La petite Peule'', was published in 2000. It tells the story of a young African girl whose childhood is stolen.
In her writing, she denounces the mistreatment of women, violence, and unequal access to education.
Her second book, ''Le cœur n’est pas un genou que l’on plie'', was published in 2007. It draws on her teenage years in Guinea and bluntly describes the country's climate under the regime of
Ahmed Sékou Touré
Ahmed Sékou Touré (var. Sheku Turay or Ture; N'Ko: ; January 9, 1922 – March 26, 1984) was a Guinean political leader and African statesman who became the first president of Guinea, serving from 1958 until his death in 1984. Touré was am ...
.
A third book was planned, to form a trilogy about her childhood, but it has not been published.
''La petite Peule'' was published in English translation under the title ''The Little Peul'' in 2010.
In 2008, Barry also served on the jury of the 8th edition of the
Marrakech International Film Festival
The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) ( ar, المهرجان الدولي للفيلم بمراكش, Amazigh ⴰⵏⵎⵓⴳⴳⴰⵔ ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵖⵍⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵍⴼⵉⵍⵎ ⴳ ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ ) is an international film festi ...
.
Selected works
* ''La petite Peule'' (2000). Paris: Mazarine.
* ''Le cœur n’est pas un genou que l’on plie'' (2007). Paris: Gallimard.
* ''The Little Peul'' (2010 translation). Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Mariama
Living people
Senegalese women writers
Senegalese women novelists
French women writers
Guinean women writers
Fula people
French people of Senegalese descent
Year of birth missing (living people)