In Koli Jean Bofane was born in Mabandaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo and currently resides in Belgium. His novels deal with themes such as globalization, the existence of the individual, memory, and social and political violence in post-colonial African societies. His book Mathematiques Congolaises, published in Spanish by the publisher Elefanta, received the 2008 Jean Muno Prize, the 2009 Scam Prize, and the Black Africa Literary Prize that same year.