A Translation into English of Bakary Diallo’s Force-Bonté [Force-Goodness], an Early Work of African Literature in French

FAIN: FEL-262999-19

Cullen Goldblatt
Brown University (Providence, RI 02912-9100)

The translation from French into English of the Senegalese writer Bakary Diallo's (1892-1978) novel Force-Bonté (1926), a foundational work of African literature in French.

In 1926, the first work of Francophone African literature was published in Paris. A text of unique literary, intellectual, and historical value, Bakary Diallo’s Force-Bonté [Force-Goodness] has never been translated into English. Foundational to African literature, Force-Bonté also constitutes an invaluable historical source. My translation of this autobiographical novel, and my accompanying critical essay, will introduce Anglophone readers to a text of surprisingly contemporary relevance. Force-Bonté is anchored in a paradox particular to its imperial context: it is both critical of French Empire and loyal to “La France,” understood as the incarnation of republican humanist values. Yet the text grapples with questions that still feel urgent today. What does it mean to be human? How do we communicate across radical differences of power? A unique historical document, Force-Bonté also speaks to current debates about personhood, violence, citizenship, and belonging.