Bernard Binlin Dadié facts for kids
Bernard Binlin Dadié (born January 10, 1916 – died March 9, 2019) was a very important writer from Côte d'Ivoire. He wrote novels, plays, and poems. He also worked in the government, even serving as the Minister of Culture for Côte d'Ivoire from 1977 to 1986.
About His Life
Bernard Dadié was born in a town called Assinie in Côte d'Ivoire. He went to school there and later studied in Dakar, Senegal. He worked for the French government for a while. In 1947, he came back to his home country.
At that time, Côte d'Ivoire was under French rule, which is called colonialism. This means France controlled the country. Bernard Dadié wanted his country to be free. He joined the movement to gain independence. Because he took part in protests against the French government, he was held for 16 months. Côte d'Ivoire finally became independent in 1960.
Dadié's writing was greatly influenced by his experiences growing up under colonial rule. He tried to connect old African folktales with modern life. In 1953, he helped start a cultural group called the Cercle Culturel et Folklorique de la Côte d'Ivoire. He published a collection of African folktales called The Black Cloth in 1955.
Many people rediscovered Dadié's work when the movie Amistad came out in 1997. This movie used words from his poem, "Dry Your Tears, Afrika" (“Sèche Tes Pleurs”), for a song. This poem, published in 1967, is about returning home to Africa.
Bernard Dadié lived a very long life. He turned 100 years old in January 2016. He passed away in Abidjan in March 2019, at the age of 103.
Awards He Won
Bernard Dadié received many awards for his amazing writing. One of his last awards was the Grand Prix des Mécènes from the GPLA in 2016.
His Main Books and Plays
- Afrique debout (1950)
- Légendes africaines (1954)
- Le pagne noir (1955)
- La ronde des jours (1956)
- Climbié (1956)
- Un Nègre à Paris (1959)
- Patron de New York (1964)
- Hommes de tous les continents (1967)
- La ville où nul ne meurt (1969)
- Monsieur Thôgô-Gnini (1970)
- Les voix dans le vent (1970)
- Béatrice du Congo (1970)
- Îles de tempête (1973)
- Papassidi maître-escroc (1975)
- Mhoi cheul (1979)
- Opinions d'un nègre (1979)
- Les belles histoires de Kacou Ananzè
- Commandant Taureault et ses nègres (1980)
- Les jambes du fils de Dieu (1980)
- Carnets de prison (1981) – This book tells about his time in prison.
- Les contes de Koutou-as-Samala (1982)
See also
In Spanish: Bernard Binlin Dadié para niños
