The Collective Voice of Silence

Aminata Sow Fall marks a transition from the autobiography to the novel in African feminine literature. Her first novel Le Revenant (1976), is the first work of fiction written by a sub-Saharan female writer. Her second novel, La Grve des bttu (1979), gave rise to an era of subversive writing which constitutes the point of separation between masculine and feminine discourse in francophone sub-Saharan literature. Indeed, the female characters in the microcosm of La Grve des bttu have great courage and dignity. Lolli, Sine, Salla Niang, Sagar Diouf, Dibor and Dieng emerge to find their path and proclaim their voice in the midst of social conflicts. La Grve des bttu is a towering achievement that set the tone for a new era of African feminine literature.