Tchicaya U Tam'si (born Gérald-Félix Tchicaya 25 August 1931 - 22 April 1988) was a
Congolese author; his pen name means "small paper that speaks for its country" in
Kikongo
Kongo or Kikongo is one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Angola. It is a tonal language. It was spoken by many of those who were taken from th ...
.
Life
Born in
Mpili, near
Brazzaville,
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...
(now Congo) in 1931,
U Tam'si spent his childhood in France, where he worked as a journalist until he returned to his homeland in 1960. Back in Congo, he continued to work as a journalist; during this time he maintained contact to the politician
Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June u ...
. In 1961, he started to work for
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. He received Grand Prix at the 1966 first ever World Festival of Negro Art in Dakar.
He died in 1988 in
Bazancourt, Oise, near
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...
.
Since 1989, the
Tchicaya U Tam'si Prize for African Poetry
The Tchicaya U Tam'si Prize for African Poetry, established in 1989, rewards a writer who is distinguished by an innovative poetic work, of high artistic value. The prize is named after Congolese writer Tchicaya U Tam'si (1931–1988).
It was cr ...
is awarded every two years in the
Moroccan city of
Asilah
Asilah (; ar, أزيلا or أصيلة; pt, Arzila; es, Arcila) is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about south of Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact.
History
The town's history da ...
.
Style
U Tam'si's poetry incorporates elements of
surrealism; it often has vivid historic images, and comments African life and society, as well as humanity in general.
Tribute
Tchicaya U Tam'si was awarded the Grand Prix de la Mémoire of the
GPLA 2014.
Selected works
*''Ces fruits si doux de l'arbre a pain'', 1990
*''Les Cancrelats'', 1980
*''La Veste d'intérieur suivi de Notes de veille'', 1977
*''L'Arc musical'', Paris, 1970
*''Le Ventre'', Paris, 1964
*''Épitomé'', Tunis, 1962
*''À triche-coeur'', Paris, 1960
*''Feu de brousse'', Paris, 1957
*''Le Mauvais Sang'', Paris, 1955
References
External links
Description of the U Tam'si's poetry as well as samples in English translation of his works
1931 births
1988 deaths
Republic of the Congo writers
{{RCongo-writer-stub