Nul n’a le monopole du français

written by Peter W. Vakunta and Bill F. Ndi

Deux poètes du Cameroon anglophone

Les forces de la nature aient voulu que ces deux poètes, linguistes, traducteurs et enseignants chercheurs anglophones soient tous nés à Ndop au Département de Ngoketunjia, dans la Région du Nord Ouest du Cameroun.

L’un basé aux USA et l’autre en Australie. Répugnés par la pourriture de régime politique dans leur propre pays ainsi que les égards des politiques vis-à-vis de minorités anglophones, ces deux explorent de fond en comble dans leur poésie, les problèmes existentiels, non seulement de cette minorité au Cameroun, mais ceux des peuples minorités du monde entier à une époque rythmée par la mondialisation. Pour eux l’art n’est pas seulement une arme de vie mais celle de résistance.

The forces of nature warranted that these two English speaking poets, linguists, translators cum academics and researchers be born in Ndop, Ngoketunjia Division, in the North West Region of Cameroon. The one is based in the USA and other in Australia. Disgusted by the rotten political clime in their country as well as the political stance of politician vis-à-vis the English speaking minority, these two poets in their poetry explore the ins and outs of the problems of existence, not only of the minority English speaking Cameroonian but those of minorities in a modern world with a push for globalization. To them art is not only a weapon for survival but one for resistance.

Peter W. Vakunta

Dr. Peter Wuteh Vakunta is a native of Bamunka-Ndop in the Northwest Region of the Republic of Cameroon. His education is global. Peter studied in Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, France and the United States of America. His research interests are cross-disciplinary and straddle the worlds of Francophonie and the Commonwealth. Peter is a prolific writer with over fifteen works on literary theory and fiction under his belt. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Indianapolis in the United States of America.

Bill F. Ndi

Dr. Bill F. Ndi, poet, playwright, storyteller, critic, translator & Fellow of The Booker T. Washington Leadership Institute is an American-Southern Cameroonian who was educated at GBHS Bamenda & Essos, the University of Yaoundé, Nigeria: ABSU, Paris: ISIT, the Sorbonne, Paris VIII & Cergy-Pontoise where he obtained his doctorate degrees in Languages: Translation and Languages, Literatures and Contemporary Civilizations. He has held teaching positions at the Paris School of Languages, the University of the Sunshine Coast at Sippy Downs, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia and Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. He is presently Professor of Modern Languages, Communication and Philosophy at Tuskegee University, Alabama, USA.