The Dark Child. With an Introduction by Philippe Thoby-Marcellin. Translated from the French by James Kirkup and Ernest Jones.
Language: English
Published by New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1969
- Softcover
- Used

Seller: Inanna Rare Books Ltd., Skibbereen, Cork, IrelandInanna Rare Books Ltd.
AbeBooks seller since October 25, 2019
Condition: Used - Very good
£ 67.44
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Second Printing. 21 cm. 188 pages. Softcover. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. From the library of Erik Haugaard, with his Exlibris to pastedown. The beautiful Noonday version of this book with the spacious typography. Camara Laye (January 1, 1928 February 4, 1980) was an African writer from Guinea. He was the author of The African Child (L'Enfant noir), a novel based loosely on his own childhood, and The Radiance of the King (Le Regard du roi). Both novels are among the earliest major works in Francophone African literature. Camara Laye later worked for the government of newly independent Guinea, but went into voluntary exile over political issues. Camara Laye was born in Kouroussa, a town in what was then the colony of French Guinea. His family were Malinke (a Mandé-speaking ethnicity), and he was born into a caste that traditionally worked as blacksmiths and goldsmiths. His mother was from the village of Tindican, and his immediate childhood surroundings were not predominantly influenced by French culture. He attended both Quranic and French elementary schools in Kouroussa. At the age of 15 he went to Conakry, the colonial capital, to continue his education. He attended vocational studies in motor mechanics. In 1947, he travelled to Paris to continue studying mechanics. There he worked and took further courses in engineering and worked towards the baccalauréat. Camara Laye published his first novel in 1953, the autobiographical L'Enfant noir (The African Child, also published under the title The Dark Child). It follows his own journey from childhood in Kouroussa, his education in Conakry, and eventual departure for France. The book won the Prix Charles Veillon in 1954. L'Enfant noir was followed the next year by Le Regard du roi (The Radiance of the King). The Radiance of the King was described by Kwame Anthony Appiah as "one of the greatest of the African novels of the colonial period." In 1956 Camara Laye returned to Africa, first to Dahomey, then the Gold Coast, and finally to newly independent Guinea, where he held several government posts. He left Guinea for Senegal in 1965 because of political issues, never returning to his home country. In 1966 Camara Laye's third novel, Dramouss (A Dream of Africa), was published. In 1978 his fourth and final work, Le Maître de la parole Kouma Lafôlô Kouma (The Guardian of the Word), was published. The novel was based on a Malian epic told by the griot Babou Condé about Sundiata Keita, the 13th-century founder of the Mali Empire. Camara Laye's authorship of Le Regard du roi was questioned by literary scholar Adele King in her book Rereading Camara Laye. She claimed that he had considerable help in writing L'Enfant noir and did not write any part of Le Regard du roi. Scholar F. Abiola Irele, in an article called "In Search of Camara Laye", asserts that the claims are not "sufficiently grounded" to adequately justify that Laye did not author the mentioned work. (Wikipedia).…
Seller Inventory # 101479AB
Bibliographic details
- Title
- The Dark Child. With an Introduction by Philippe Thoby-Marcellin. Translated from the French by James Kirkup and Ernest Jones.
- Author
- Camara, Laye.
- Publisher
- New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication year
- 1969
- Condition
- Gut
- Binding
- Soft cover
- Language
- English
- Seller catalogs
- Varia
Inanna Rare Books Ltd.
Skibbereen, Cork, Ireland
AbeBooks seller since October 25, 2019
Shipping rates from Ireland to U.S.A.
| Item | 4 to 6 business days | 2 to 4 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 23.51 | £ 31.90 |
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Buying and Selling of rare and out-of-print Books & Manuscripts, Pamphlets & Ephemera. We are building special collections, small and extensive libraries for every budget. Professional Booksearch & Library Completion Service / Consultants for building Libraries & Meaningful Collections /
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Rare and Out-of-Print BooksSeller's business information
Inanna Rare Books Limited
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We are specialist antiquarian bookdealers who buy and sell rare and out-of-print books, manuscripts and related items like Ephemera, Photography and Art. Specialized in building small and large libraries, we help collector's to build meaningful collections as well as small and larger libraries for every budget.
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