A Survey of African Poetry in the London Times, Sunday Times, Financial Times, the Times Literary Supplement 1865-1985

Bernard Binlin Dadié, born in 1916 in Assini, Côte d'Ivoire, is considered by some to be the father of Ivoirian literature. He became heavily involved in the fight for independence from France, drawing on personal experiences with colonialism that deeply influenced his writing. While pursuing his education in Senegal, Dadié developed an interest in folklore and drama. After working for the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire for 11 years, he returned to Côte d’Ivoire in 1947 and joined the independence struggle in 1949. His activism led to his imprisonment for 16 months in 1960, during which he kept a journal that was later published in 1981 as Carnets de prison. Dadié's poetry, beginning with his 1950 collection Afrique debout, was shaped by African oral traditions, fables, folklore, proverbs, and his experiences under colonial rule. He also founded the National Drama Studio and served as Minister of Culture starting in 1961. Dadié lived to the age of 103, passing away in 2019.