Senegalese Literature Women's Writing A Genre That Asserts

On the concept of female writing, opinions differ If for some people it marks the sensational entry of women into the literary landscape long dominated by men, for others it brings a new, more empathetic sensibility

We can say that women's literature in Senegal has definitely found its place By Nénucha CISS (Intern) Does gender have its place in literature? Female writing or male writing, where is the difference? For artist and filmmaker Laure Malécot, “qualifying writing as feminine means saying that women writers focus on issues that affect their gender

The writing is therefore feminine because the writers deal with subjects that have to do with their bodies, their status as women in society or even their role as mothers Rahmatou Seck Samb, author of the book "Fergo, you will trace your road" published by Editions Abis, said on this subject, in a short article published on the Dakar-Echo

com site: "Our women's literature always bears the share of our sensitivity The fate of our works will bear the stigmata of our condition”

This thought echoes Mamadou Samb, the author of the novel "L'écharpe des jumelles", published by Teham Editions This former technical adviser to the Ministry of Women, Family and Childhood perceives “feminine writing as writing from within”

He justifies his opinion by explaining that this writing captures themes directly related to the daily life of women, in particular her life as a couple, her relationship with her in-laws, the education of her children, her conception of the family , domestic violence suffered

“This is because women have long been confined to a life of wives and housewives During this time, the men were facing the outside world,” adds Mamadou Samb

However, director Laure Malécot wants to avoid confining literature to one genre “The characteristic of a writer is to know how to put himself in the place of others, whatever his gender,” she maintains

She believes that the most important thing in literature is that the person who writes manages to reflect a part of his society through the emotions that go through it Despite everything, Laure Malécot recognizes that a particular sensitivity emerges when reading a novel written by a woman

However, the feminine pen is full of empathy and emotions Take the example of the work of Aminata Sow Fall, “The battu strike”, published by Présence Africaine

In this famous novel, aminata sow fall recounts the social and religious dimension of almsgiving and the place of beggars in Senegal These often despised and ignored beggars are useful to part of the Senegalese population since they give them the opportunity to fulfill their social and religious duty

FEMININE SENSITIVITY aminata sow fall shows the place of these “little ones”, these “invisibles” when it comes to warding off possible misfortune through alms Under the pen of this novelist, an empathy is expressed

This feminine sensitivity is also found in Mariama Bâ, the author of "A so long letter" published in Neas (New African editions of Senegal) This novel tackles with lucidity the status of women in Senegal

Through an exchange of letters between Ramatoulaye and Aïssatou, two long-time friends, a whole section of Senegalese society unfolds: the weight of traditions, life as a couple, polygamy, divorce, widowhood, women's autonomy

"Such a long letter" is a hard and moving novel where grief and hope mingle The hope of a Senegalese society where women will be freer, more autonomous and able to take their destiny into their own hands

This is the feeling of Amina Seck, the writer of the novel “Bad slope”: “There is only one woman to write such a poignant book on the condition of women Mariama Bâ was a precursor

She paved the way for a new generation of female writers to which I belong In any case, these writers have a more assertive social sensitivity

As for Laure Malécot, she does not believe in feminine writing, but rather leans towards feminist and feminizing writing That is to say, a writing that militates for the rights of women and for the improvement of their conditions in society

Because, according to her, everyone can find their way around: “There are a lot of men who write in favor of women Men and women are similar

It's the clichés that separate them She adds: “Sometimes the gaze of the opposite gender is important to build oneself

Men's opinions of women are just as useful as a woman's opinion of a man or a man's opinion of a woman In the same vein, Ghaël Samb Sall, editor at the publishing house "Vives Voix", believes that there is no need to speak of feminine or masculine writing

“There are only authors and styles That's the most important thing,” she observes

Fatou Warkha Sambe, writer and director, thinks of writing as an individual particularity: “A writer is different from a writer in that she writes from a given social position, from an experience” Aboubacar Demba Cissokho, cultural journalist at the Senegalese Press Agency (Aps) believes that there is “a difference in sensitivity depending on whether you are a man or a woman

» On the usefulness of female writing Andrée Marie Diagne-Bonané, author of « La fileuse d'amour » published by L'Harmattan Senegal, goes further in the concept Women's writing is, for her, "a peaceful way to denounce sexual and gender-based violence or to talk about women's traumas such as excision"

“A woman who writes emerges from silence Because she speaks on her own behalf and on behalf of those who cannot write, ”she continues

Senegalese literature was for a long time masculine It was not until the 1970s that Senegalese women writers burst into the literary world

Mariama Bâ and aminata sow fall were the models Mariama Bâ, through her epistolary novel “A so long letter” and aminata sow fall with “Le revenant”, both published by Neas

These two women writers not only blew a new wind on Senegalese letters, but they also opened a breach into which a new generation of novelists rushed We can cite Nafissatou Diallo, Ken Bugul, Sokhna Benga, Fatou Diome, Nafissatou Dia Diouf

The peculiarity of this generation, it is to have brought a new look at Senegalese literature From autobiography to fiction, each of them has left its mark on a new style, a new subtlety, in a word, a feminine mark

Thanks to their works, women's literature has definitely found its place in the Senegalese literary landscape FATOU SOW SECK, AUTHOR OF THE NOVEL "KANI, AN INNOCENCE BETRAYED" A feminist and protest writer fatou sow seck is part of the new wave of Senegalese writers still little known to the general public

In 2022, she publishes her first novel, "Kani, a betrayed innocence", with Editions Séguima "You have to write instinctively as you live, as you breathe"

Who was Françoise Sagan, author of "Bonjour triste", addressing when she pronounced this sentence? To young authors like fatou sow seck For sure, Françoise Sagan wanted to send a strong message for aspiring writers

At 33, the author of the novel "Kani, une innocence betrayed" is in tune with this call from this French woman of letters since she has a pronounced taste for lively and instinctive writing His first novel was hailed by critics before meeting his public

The writing virus took hold of her very early, barely out of adolescence, "without knowing why I always felt a mad desire to write," she says After obtaining her baccalaureate in 2010 at the Jean Paul II Private College in Kaolack, fatou sow seck married and gave birth to her very first child

After a three-year break, she resumed her studies A degree in nursing and midwifery made her a state midwife

She now works at the Dalal Jamm hospital in Guédiawaye His colleague Marième Thiam has been working alongside him for several years

“Fatou is a very pleasant and well-educated person She takes very good care of her patients

On a professional level, she is irreproachable,” confides Ms Thiam

As a child, fatou sow seck dreamed of being a university professor But she quickly gave up on this ambition to save time and focus on the essentials: leading a professional life and a life as a mother

But, ultimately, where does she find the time to devote herself to writing? “I write on my smartphone, the time of my journey from home to the hospital I also write at home, at my workplace, wherever I have a free moment,” reveals Fatou

WOMAN OF THE FUTURE In front of the screen of her smartphone, she waltzes her thumbs on the virtual keyboard to record ideas, a reflection, an emotion Don't talk to him about paper and ink

His pen is tactile She feels twice as productive when writing with her smartphone

Thanks to this practical and easy-to-carry device, she wrote her first novel from start to finish In 134 pages, fatou sow seck questioned in "Kani, an innocence betrayed" the education of the little girl in Senegalese families

She talked about the importance of sex education in a woman's life Through its main character, little Kani, she denounces the social injustices suffered by the female population in its vast majority

fatou sow seck cares about the cause of women There is a deep-rooted feminist suspicion in her

In her head, feminine writing consists of insisting on the details, of pointing out where the shoe pinches in favor of women "Fatou Sow Seck is a great writer in the making", says Amina Seck, initiator of the first Dakar Women's Book Fair

“I met him during the first short story writing workshop at my book fair,” she continues Amina Seck appreciates both the person of fatou sow seck and the quality of the work of the novelist: “Fatou Sow Seck is a good person

His novel "Kani, an innocence betrayed" says a lot about his perception of Senegalese society Clearly, when Fatou writes, she doesn't mince her words

His feather is sharp as a knife that stings you in the body fatou sow seck is an introverted woman

She finds in writing the way to express with ease what she loves, what she hates, her aspirations, her dreams Aboubakry Seck is full of praise for the qualities of his wife

“She is an avid reader and writer It is through the latter that she expresses herself best

She is very shy by nature, but it is through writing that she reveals her taste for communication, that she becomes talkative,” he says For her husband, fatou sow seck lives to the rhythm of writing and reading

Two passions that devour her AN EMPATHIC PEN Imagining a life without writing is unthinkable for Fatou Sow Seck

"I'm crying with my fingertips, putting my pain on pages," she explains Writing is more than just an occupation in the life of this 30-something

She gives birth to her books as she helps women give birth to their babies every day It is this maieutic dimension that punctuates her daily life as a midwife and writer

She feels relieved after each delivery She already has 3 manuscripts and a collection of short stories in her drawers

On the professional side, she is continuing her training at Gaston Berger University: “I am currently in Master 1 in administration of hospital structures and management On the literature side, Fatou is looking for a publisher for her manuscripts

The publication of his first novel was The Cross and the Banner “My novel made me go through several emotions

Not so much in writing but in finding a publisher I had to pay out of pocket to be able to hold my book in my hands,” the writer said

fatou sow seck hopes that with her second novel, the journey to publication will be faster and less painful For now, she writes with great pleasure, whenever time permits

Fatou's pen, apart from being sensitive, human, empathetic, is both feminist and demanding There is no doubt that the next novel will be in this vein

AMINA SECK, FOUNDER OF THE "LES CULTUR'ELLES" AGENCY "There are nearly 200 women authors in the country" Novelist and founder of the "Les Cultur'Elles" agency, Amina Seck is the woman behind the first women's book fair in Dakar With this unprecedented fair in Senegal, she leads the writing workshop “Writing for women”

The writer has set herself the goal of bringing the works of Senegalese and African women to the attention of the public, but also of supporting women's literary production With your agency "Les Cultur'Elles", you organized the first Women's Book Fair on May 5, 6 and 7, 2022

For what reasons ? The Women's Book Fair exists because women writers need to be accompanied, promoted and encouraged in their literary productions The small number of literary fairs organized in Senegal does not sufficiently highlight their works

Writers usually take all the light With the exception of Mariama Bâ, aminata sow fall and Ken Bugul, few Senegalese today are able to cite the names and productions of the new wave of Senegalese writers

And yet, they exist There are nearly 200 authors in the country

I created this Women's Book Fair to finally give them the visibility they deserve The second edition of the Dakar Women's Book Fair is scheduled for when? The 2nd edition of the Dakar Women's Book Fair is scheduled for the 12, May 13 and 14, 2023 at the Place du Souvenir Africain

I am still thinking about the theme of this next edition Do you believe in the existence of a feminine writing? Yes, I believe in it

There is necessarily a feminine writing from the moment when there are women who write They have been writing novels, essays, collections of short stories, collections of poetry since the 70s and 80s

What, in your opinion, are the specificities of this feminine writing? Women's writing is sensitive She tells the human story

She tells the woman A woman who reads, a woman can find herself in her story

Because her writing is like a therapy that puts words to the ills of women You read women writers

What are the most frequently discussed topics? The living conditions of women and the functioning of society are often the core of their works The writers recount the violence against women with poignant testimonies

They do not fail to take a critical look at society I cite as an example the trilogy of author Ken Bugul: "The Crazy Baobab", "Riwan and the Sand Road" and "Ashes and Embers"

She describes through her characters a sick Senegalese society I am convinced that through literature, women find the strength to face society and assert their thoughts

Isn't qualifying writing as feminine a way of “gendering” literature? It is not a question of “gendering” the writing Feminine writing exists

That's a fact The use of the expression “women's writing” serves to mark their presence in the literary world, which has too long been fed by male writers

This expression signals that women are now making their mark in literature More and more of them are going to school

They are therefore more and more likely to feel the need to write to tell their stories or to share ideas and emotions Do you think women write better about women than men about women? We are better served than by ourselves

Women talk better about women They don't need to put themselves in the shoes of a woman to tell about certain physical, interior pains

They can describe the reality of women with unique precision A man who talks about motherhood will never be able to do so from a woman's point of view

This stage in a woman's life is completely foreign to her

For artist and filmmaker Laure Malécot, “qualifying writing as feminine means saying that women writers focus on issues that affect their gender The writing is therefore feminine because the writers deal with subjects that have to do with their bodies, their status as women in society or even their role as mothers Rahmatou Seck Samb, author of the book "Fergo, you will trace your road" published by Editions Abis, said on this subject, in a short article published on the Dakar-Echo com site: "Our women's literature always bears the share of our sensitivity The fate of our works will bear the stigmata of our condition” This thought echoes Mamadou Samb, the author of the novel "L'écharpe des jumelles", published by Teham Editions This former technical adviser to the Ministry of Women, Family and Childhood perceives “feminine writing as writing from within” He justifies his opinion by explaining that this writing captures themes directly related to the daily life of women, in particular her life as a couple, her relationship with her in-laws, the education of her children, her conception of the family , domestic violence suffered “This is because women have long been confined to a life of wives and housewives During this time, the men were facing the outside world,” adds Mamadou Samb However, director Laure Malécot wants to avoid confining literature to one genre “The characteristic of a writer is to know how to put himself in the place of others, whatever his gender,” she maintains She believes that the most important thing in literature is that the person who writes manages to reflect a part of his society through the emotions that go through it Despite everything, Laure Malécot recognizes that a particular sensitivity emerges when reading a novel written by a woman However, the feminine pen is full of empathy and emotions Take the example of the work of Aminata Sow Fall, “The battu strike”, published by Présence Africaine In this famous novel, Aminata Sow Fall recounts the social and religious dimension of almsgiving and the place of beggars in Senegal These often despised and ignored beggars are useful to part of the Senegalese population since they give them the opportunity to fulfill their social and religious duty FEMININE SENSITIVITY Aminata Sow Fall shows the place of these “little ones”, these “invisibles” when it comes to warding off possible misfortune through alms Under the pen of this novelist, an empathy is expressed This feminine sensitivity is also found in Mariama Bâ, the author of "A so long letter" published in Neas (New African editions of Senegal) This novel tackles with lucidity the status of women in Senegal Through an exchange of letters between Ramatoulaye and Aïssatou, two long-time friends, a whole section of Senegalese society unfolds: the weight of traditions, life as a couple, polygamy, divorce, widowhood, women's autonomy "Such a long letter" is a hard and moving novel where grief and hope mingle The hope of a Senegalese society where women will be freer, more autonomous and able to take their destiny into their own hands This is the feeling of Amina Seck, the writer of the novel “Bad slope”: “There is only one woman to write such a poignant book on the condition of women Mariama Bâ was a precursor She paved the way for a new generation of female writers to which I belong In any case, these writers have a more assertive social sensitivity As for Laure Malécot, she does not believe in feminine writing, but rather leans towards feminist and feminizing writing That is to say, a writing that militates for the rights of women and for the improvement of their conditions in society Because, according to her, everyone can find their way around: “There are a lot of men who write in favor of women Men and women are similar It's the clichés that separate them She adds: “Sometimes the gaze of the opposite gender is important to build oneself Men's opinions of women are just as useful as a woman's opinion of a man or a man's opinion of a woman In the same vein, Ghaël Samb Sall, editor at the publishing house "Vives Voix", believes that there is no need to speak of feminine or masculine writing “There are only authors and styles That's the most important thing,” she observes Fatou Warkha Sambe, writer and director, thinks of writing as an individual particularity: “A writer is different from a writer in that she writes from a given social position, from an experience” Aboubacar Demba Cissokho, cultural journalist at the Senegalese Press Agency (Aps) believes that there is “a difference in sensitivity depending on whether you are a man or a woman » On the usefulness of female writing Andrée Marie Diagne-Bonané, author of « La fileuse d'amour » published by L'Harmattan Senegal, goes further in the concept Women's writing is, for her, "a peaceful way to denounce sexual and gender-based violence or to talk about women's traumas such as excision" “A woman who writes emerges from silence Because she speaks on her own behalf and on behalf of those who cannot write, ”she continues Senegalese literature was for a long time masculine It was not until the 1970s that Senegalese women writers burst into the literary world Mariama Bâ and Aminata Sow Fall were the models Mariama Bâ, through her epistolary novel “A so long letter” and Aminata Sow Fall with “Le revenant”, both published by Neas These two women writers not only blew a new wind on Senegalese letters, but they also opened a breach into which a new generation of novelists rushed We can cite Nafissatou Diallo, Ken Bugul, Sokhna Benga, Fatou Diome, Nafissatou Dia Diouf The peculiarity of this generation, it is to have brought a new look at Senegalese literature From autobiography to fiction, each of them has left its mark on a new style, a new subtlety, in a word, a feminine mark Thanks to their works, women's literature has definitely found its place in the Senegalese literary landscape FATOU SOW SECK, AUTHOR OF THE NOVEL "KANI, AN INNOCENCE BETRAYED" A feminist and protest writer Fatou Sow Seck is part of the new wave of Senegalese writers still little known to the general public In 2022, she publishes her first novel, "Kani, a betrayed innocence", with Editions Séguima "You have to write instinctively as you live, as you breathe" Who was Françoise Sagan, author of "Bonjour triste", addressing when she pronounced this sentence?