RFI Celebrates Emmanuel Dongala's 85th with 'Photo de groupe au bord du fleuve'

On August 2, 2026, RFI published a retrospective on Congolese writer Emmanuel Dongala, highlighting his 2010 novel 'Photo de groupe au bord du fleuve' as a landmark in African literature. The novel, dedicated to women's struggles, follows fourteen women—including central figure Méréana—who work as 'casseuses de cailloux' (stone breakers) in a riverside quarry. These women, from diverse backgrounds, unite against patriarchal and capitalist oppression, facing police violence, arrests, and intimidation after doubling the price of gravel bags. The government, fearing international embarrassment during a summit of African first ladies, attempts to suppress their protests. The novel, set in an unnamed country resembling Congo, draws on Dongala's experiences fleeing the Congolese civil war in the 1990s, during which he witnessed women's particular suffering. Dongala, born in 1941, is also known for 'Johnny chien méchant' (2002) and his first novel 'Un fusil dans la main, un poème dans la poche' (1973). Critics have compared the novel to Zola's 'Germinal' and Sembène Ousmane's 'Les Bouts de bois de Dieu'. The novel's narrative employs a second-person perspective and incorporates radio broadcasts, reflecting modernity. In 2011, it won the Prix Ahmadou Kourouma. Published by Actes Sud, the 336-page book is available in paperback at €22.80.