Fama Diagne Sène (born 1969,

Thiès Thiès (; ar, ثيس, Ṯyass; Noon: ''Chess'') is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and St- ...

) is a

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

ese writer. Educated in Thiès, she became a teacher there. Ken Bugul listed her among "illustrious women" in Senegalese literature. In 1997, she won the presidential award for art and literature with ''Chant des ténèbres''. Born to a Serer family, Fama's controversial play ''Mbilem ou le baobab du lion'' denounces Serer tradition and received great criticism from the Serer traditionalists of Senegal. The ''Mbilim'' (variation : ''Bilim'') is a religious festival in the Serer calendar, celebrated once a year and is equivalent to the new year. In pre-colonial times, right until recently, some Serer

griot A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. The griot is a repos ...

s were buried in the trunks of a baobab tree rather than buried in a pyramid

tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immureme ...

with all the regalia dictated by

Serer religion The Serer religion, or ''a ƭat Roog'' ("the way of the Divine"), is the original religious beliefs, practices, and teachings of the Serer people of Senegal in West Africa. The Serer religion believes in a universal supreme deity called Roog ...

. Tomb burial and mummification were always given to the Serer nobility, but some Serer griots were not buried this way. In this play, she criticises this tradition and came head on with the Serer priestly class.

Works

*''Le chant des ténèbres'' he Song of Darkness

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from :wo:daqaar, daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar ...

: Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Sénégal, 1997 (154p.). . Novel.(Award-winner) *''Humanité''. Editions Maguilen et Editions Damel, Dakar et Genève, n.d. 002(30p.). Poetry. *''La momie d'Almamya'' he mummy of Almamya Dakar: Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Sénégal, 2004. (264p.). . Novel.

Honours

Diagne Sène has been awarded the

National Order of the Lion ("One People, One Goal, One Faith") , eligibility = , criteria = , status = Active , founder = , head_title = Grand Master , head = Macky Sall , head2_title = Grand Chancellor , head2 ...

for her services to the Nation in her role as director of the library at

Alioune Diop University of Bambey Alioune Diop University of Bambey (french: Université Alioune Diop de Bambey) is a public higher education institution located in Bambey in the Diourbel region of west-central Senegal. The university is a member of the Agence universitaire d ...

References

External links

* Etienne Texeire "LE CHANT DES TENEBRES DE FAMA DIAGNE SENE NEAS - DAKAR 1997" n''Ethiopiques'

Serer writers Senegalese dramatists and playwrights 1969 births Living people Senegalese women writers Senegalese writers in French Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Senegal {{Senegal-writer-stub