In Koli Jean Bofane in conversation with Nteranya A. Sanginga

Retrospective on a career

Nairobi Litfest 2025, Sunday 29 June 2025

Born in 1954 in Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire), In Koli Jean Bofane is an award-winning writer and exhibit curator whose work has been praised for exhibiting a cynical sense of humour and rebellious wit. His first work, Pourquoi le lion n’est plus le roi des animaux (Why the lion is no longer king of the animals) was published in 1996. Bofane’s work has been awarded the Prix Jean Muno (2008), the Prix littéraire de la SCAM (2009) and the Grand Prix littéraire de l’Afrique noire (2009). His novel, Congo Inc. Le Testament de Bismarck (2015) paints a complex picture of the contemporary Congo in the grip of globalization. In 2020, he curated Mabele eleki lola! (The earth, more beautiful than paradise) at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium. In conversation with Nteranya A. Sanginga.