What characterizes the relationship between literature and the state? Should literature serve the needs of the
state by constructing national consciousness, espousing state propaganda, and molding good citizens? Or should
it be dedicated to a different kind of creative social endeavor? In this important book about literature and the
politics of nation-building, Dominic Thomas assesses the contributions of Francophone African writers whose works
have played a key role in the recent transition to democracy in the Congo. Exploring the works of Sony Labou Tansi,
Henri Lopes, and Emmanuel Dongala, among others, Thomas highlights writers intimately involved with government
and politics--whether in support of the state's vision or with the intention of articulating a more open view of
citizens and society. Focusing on themes such as collaboration, reconciliation, identity, history, and memory,
Nation-Building, Propaganda, and Literature in Francophone Africa elaborates a broader understanding of the circumstances
of African colonization, modern African nation-state formation, and the complex cultural dynamics at work in Africa
since independence.