He was a man who never got the recognition that he deserved in his native Cameroon, even though he was one of the country’s most internationally acclaimed writers, with poems and novels that were celebrated across the globe; he was a man whose political choices infuriated and confused many of his fans who believed that he had turned his back on his people; he was a man who shunned Western religion for his own indigenous religion called Esimo ya Mboka; he was a man who would rather be labeled as ‘mad’ than change his appearance to conform to society’s expectations; he was a man who went out of his way to live a very basic and even Spartan life, devoid of the trappings of materialism, in a society which worshipped wealth to the point of insanity.
That man was Mbella Sonne Dipoko, the poet-novelist, politician and traditional ruler of Missaka, who died last December 5 in Tiko in the Southwest region of Cameroon.
In this commemorative issue, Summit Magazine revisits and celebrates the colorful and controversial life of a literary giant and a political maverick whose passing has left a huge gap in the country’s literary, cultural and political landscape.
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