Bernard Nanga

Bernard Nanga was an academic and author from Cameroon. He authored three books and was a scholar in philosophy and sociology. He was a faculty member at the University of Yaoundé until his death in 1985.

Early life and education

Nanga was born in Mbankomo, near Obala, about 50 kilometers from Yaoundé. He was the second of four sons in his family. He attended the Efok mission school, founded by Father Bruce Ritter. His education at the minor seminary of Mvaa, then Akono, included Latin and Greek. He earned his baccalaureate in 1958, and studied philosophy and theology for four years at the major seminary of Otele, run by Benedictine monks. He was ordained a priest, but later requested to return to the secular state.
From 1962 to 1970, Nanga studied philosophy and sociology at the University of Strasbourg in France. He obtained a degree in philosophy in 1965, a degree in sociology in 1968, and defended a third cycle doctoral thesis in philosophy in March 1971.

Career and works

In 1975, Nanga joined the philosophy department of the University of Yaoundé. He worked on his state doctoral thesis on the Vienna school. He died in March 1985, leaving his thesis almost completed.
In addition to his academic career, Nanga wrote poetry on themes such as beauty, love, life, death, and intercultural relations.
He published three books. His first novel, Les Chauves-Souris, was published in 1980 by Présence Africaine and won the Grand Prix Littéraire d'Afrique Noire in 1982. The novel critiques societal issues such as corruption, consumerism, and inefficiency. The novel was initially censored in Cameroon and was only sold freely in the country a few years later.
Nanga's third book, Poèmes sans frontières, was published in 1987 by Présence Africaine. This collection of poems reflects his perspectives and thoughts on various themes.
He wrote a play, Vive la tribu, a three-act comedy performed in Douala in 1973 by high school students. The play is available in mimeographed format. He was working on poems, articles, and a third novel, The Time of the Vampires, at the time of his death.

Personal life and death

After leaving the priesthood, Nanga married and had five children. He was married to a woman he referred to as Marianne, and he was from a place he called Africa. He explored the contrast between the two cultures in his works. He was a Christian and believed in God and human dignity. He died in Yaoundé in March 1985, at the age of 50. The circumstances of his death are unclear.

Legacy

Nanga is known as an author from Cameroon and Africa. His works have been translated into several languages including English, German, Spanish, and Italian. His works have been studied by scholars and critics.