An Overview of Cameroon Prison Literature From Albert Mukong to Titus Edzoa

By Dibussi Tande

In the last six months, three former high-ranking government officials currently in jail for a variety of financial crimes have published books about their prison experience. These books also explain their own version of events that landed them in jail, while casting a critical glance at the political system in which they once played pivotal roles.

The courtyard of the Kondengui Prison in Yaounde

Prominent among these unlikely authors are two former Secretary-Generals at the Presidency of the Republic, Atangana Mebara and Titus Edzoa, and Nguini Effa, the former Director General of Cameroon Petroleum Depot (SCDP).

These three books, which some have dubbed “literature of the sparrow hawk,” in reference to the anti-corruption campaign that landed Mebara and Nguini Effa in jail, have enriched Cameroon’s burgeoning but generally ignored prison literature which dates back to the days of President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

Here is a preliminary overview of 10 of the most popular prison literature books published by Cameroonians, beginning with those written by victims of the Sparrowhawk.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Comments

[Peter Wuteh Vakunta, PhD]

Mola,
Kudos for this succinct review of our budgeoning prison literature! I do have a few of these titles but will endeavor to procure the rest and pen something theoretical about them. I am also toying with the idea of organizing a roundtable on Cameroonian Prison Literature during the upcoming annual African Literature Association (ALA) jamboree in the USA. Will keep you posted.
Prof Vakunta