Bate Besong

Kuchah Henry Kuchah (Poet):I’m inspired by Bole Butake and Bate Besong

Published in The Herald, Friday 21-23 April 2006

Scattered Thoughts and Emotions is a collection of poems published and launched recently. Kuchah Henry Kuchah, the author of the work, sheds light on it and on other aspects of his writing, in this chat with Ndien Eric. Amongst other things, he says two Cameroonian writers who inspire him are Bole Butake and Bate Besong. Kuchah begins by presenting the book to the reader.

Beware, Frog Brother (To the Ajasco Gerontocrat of the African Writers Hall of Infamy)

By Bate Besong (Published in Arts & Culture No. 00207, Sept 2000)

(i)
You fail to read the
physiognomy of the CPDM regime
mirrored in the face

of its frozen
consistency towards your
psychopath revelry, which

like your plague-
ridden ever-ready marabout
black mamba wrapper- wrapper

You had neither skill nor will
To mend.
BEAST
Get rid of all gris-gris.
In spite of your apostasy
          If you decide, decide.
Pray intensely and often, Debauched
    Prophet of Ya Mboka

Hilarious Ambe: “We want to bring back theatre culture in Cameroon”

(First published in the Herald newspaper Wednesday 8-9 March 2006)                     

The University of Buea is planning a series of theatrical performances in Buea and Yaoundé. The brain behind the performances, Hilarious N Ambe, who lectures theatre, drama and criticism at the University of Buea, talks on the upcoming activity and on the theatre in Cameroon, in this chat with Douglas Achigale. Excerpts:

L’ecrivain est mort : Alas, Poor Fredinand (Son Excellence Leopold Oyono)!

By Bate Besong

ALA Bulletin Vol. 28 No. 2 Spring pages 119-124

The list of African writers who opposed colonialism and stood for independence and freedom is long. Unfortunately, the list of those who ended up compromising and making deals is a long one too… But Mongo Beti,… was never one of them.

Dennis Brutus - University of Pittsburg

The Mummification of a Nation

By Bate Besong

It so happens that creativity
is the highest instance of human
intelligence at work … This is
plain and logical.
AYI KWEI ARMAH

History is ever reminding The Present
of any society even you shall come
to pass away. Tomorrow will be the
present; and The Present will be The
Yesterday.
NGUGI WA THIONG’O