GAMWRITERS

The late Ebou Dibba, who passed away in England in 2000, has played a significant role in depicting Gambian life in his books. He is equally the first Gambian author to make a continuation of his first story into a second book. The late Ebou Dibba’s first novel, Chaff on the Wind, is set in The Gambia. Some of the characters are found in his second novel Fafa creating thus an apparent link between the two. His novel Alhaji marks the inauguration of a literary genre targeting above all the youths. It should not be forgotten however that Ebou equally wrote Olu and the Smugglers.
Chaff on the Wind is a novel of 203 pages, written in 1986, and published by Macmillan Education. The novel is about two young men, Dingding and Pateh, who came from the countryside on board of a ship in the thirties. The latter is ambitious and enterprising. He quickly finds himself a job and seduces a young girl called Isatou. Dingding is the opposite of Pateh. He is shy and reserved. But he is luckier than Pateh. Isatou is married to Charles, the old cousin of a Signare. She hates this relationship. She ends up carrying the baby of …Pateh. Both of them have to flee to Senegal. Dingding becomes a successful businessman. Pateh is of his employees. Pateh finally dies following his numerous encounters with the French colonial police.

Fafa is a novel of 118 pages published in 1989 by Macmillan Education. Four friends are the main characters of this novel set in the fifties: Sisi Massod, the shopkeeper from Morocco, “Guerre Quatorze” who fought the first World War, “Professor” a teacher and Fafa, the watchman. Fafa wants to marry Kombeh (who is also found in Chaff on the Wind) who is not ready to engage herself in any form of relationship with him. He is not the type of man she is looking for. The three friends will crack their brains to map out strategies to resolve the problems.

Alhaji, a novel meant for young readers, has 72 pages. It was published in 1992 by Macmillan. Alhaji, 16, receives a horse as a present from a tourist. He names the horse after himself. One day, on his way to school he is taken on a ride. Kebba, the driver and proprietor of the vehicle, invites Alhaji to his hotel where, in order to seduce him into selling his horse, he is offered a prostitute. He realises that Kebba has an eye on his horse. As he is adamant to even borrow his horse not mentioning selling it to Kebba, Alhaji, the horse, is stolen. Kebba will use the horse to smuggle diamonds into Senegal, and eventually to Scandinavia. Fortunately, indirectly assisting the Sierra Leonian Police, Alhaji the horse is found by Alhaji the hero. Quasi the maths teacher com detective and Johnson the Policeman from Sierra Leone will provide the helicopter by which they will travel in pursuit of the criminal Kebba, who will be intercepted after Kaolack and around Fattick in Senegal. The smugglers find themselves behind bars.