Samba Gadjigo presents a unique personal portrait and intellectualhistory of novelist and filmmaker Ousmane Semb ne. Though Semb ne has persistentlydeflected attention away from his personality, his life, and his past, Gadjigo hashad unprecedented access to the artist and his family. This book is the firstcomprehensive biography of Semb ne and contributes a critical appraisal of his lifeand art in the context of the political and social influences on his work. Beginningwith Semb ne's life in Casamance, Senegal, and ending with his militant career as adockworker in Marseilles, Gadjigo places Semb ne into the context of Africancolonial and postcolonial culture and charts his achievements in film andliterature. This landmark book reveals the inner workings of one of Africa's mostdistinguished and controversial figures.