Frontispiece; Preface; Map; Table; List of abbreviations; Acknowledgements; Introduction: background to a literature: 1. Earliest beginnings; 2. Historical review; 3. The educational system; 4. First awakenings of Black consciousness and interest in Africa; 5. The birth of Negritude; Part I. The Transition from Yesterday to Today: 1. The oral tradition: the role of the griot; 2. The evolution of the folk-tale, short story and fable; 3. The heyday of folk-lore in French West African literature; 4. The rear-guard and the decline of the folk-tale; 5. Legends from Central and West Africa in novels and novellas; 6. The historical novel; Part II. Dramatic Literature: 1. Origins and development of a French language spectacle; 2. Historical and legendary drama; 3. Comedy, satire and morality plays; 4. Conclusion; Part III. Negro-African Poetry: From Negritude to 'Disengagement': 1. The birth of Negritude; 2. Conclusion; Part IV. The African Novelist and the Negro-African Novel in French: 1. Towards a definition of the African novel; 2. 1935-55: authors and works in the margin of commitment; 3. 1954-64: Around the anti-colonialist cause: 'Romans à thèse'; 4. 1958-64: period of transition: releasing the tensions of the past and drawing up blueprints for the future; 1964-74: in the light of Independence; 5. Familiar writers - new inspirations; 6. New voices in fiction; 7. Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliographical notes; Index.