Calixthe Beyala is a Cameroonian-French writer who writes in French.
Early life and education 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 and went on to study at the Lycée des Rapides à Bangui and the Lycée Polyvalent de Douala.
She eventually won a scholarship to study in Paris at 17, where she obtained a baccalaureate.
Career After a few years in Spain 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 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 Assèze l'Africaine, A. Michel, 1994, -- François Mauriac Prize of the Académie française Lettre d'une africaine à ses sœurs occidentales, Spengler, 1995 Les Honneurs perdus, A. Michel, 1996, -- Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française La petite fille du réverbère, Albin Michel, 1998, —Grand Prize of Unicef 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
Further reading Hitchcott, Nicki. Calixthe Beyala: Performances of Migration, Liverpool University Press, December 2006,
External links "Calixthe Beyala", The Literary Encyclopedia "Calixthe Beyala : writing in the margins", Africultures, Boniface Mongo-Mboussa "Calixthe Beyala, or the Literary Success of a Cameroonian Woman Living in Paris", Jean-Marie Volet, World Literature Today, Vol. 67, No. 2 (Spring, 1993), pp. 309–314 Charles Salé, Calixthe Beyala: analyse sémiotique de Tu t'appelleras Tanga, Harmattan, 2005,