Segu
Mali

Segu

by Maryse Condé

Colonialism Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Family Saga 1984

Summary

In 1797, the powerful West African kingdom of Segu, located in present-day Mali, stands at the height of its prosperity. But beneath its apparent stability, profound changes are beginning to reshape the region. Islam is spreading from the east, European traders are expanding the transatlantic slave trade from the west, and Christian missionaries and colonial interests are gradually entering the continent.

At the centre of the story is Dousika Traoré, a trusted adviser to the king, and his four sons, whose very different destinies reflect the upheavals transforming their society. One embraces Islam, another remains loyal to traditional beliefs, while others become entangled in slavery, trade, and the growing influence of foreign powers. As the family becomes increasingly divided, the kingdom itself begins to fracture.

Spanning generations and continents, Segu is an ambitious historical saga about the transformation of pre-colonial West Africa. Through the lives of one family, Maryse Condé explores the intersections of religion, slavery, political power, cultural identity, and the devastating consequences of external intervention.

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Country
Mali
Africa
About the author
Maryse Condé
Maryse Condé

Maryse Condé (1937–2024) was a celebrated Guadeloupean novelist, playwright, and academic, widely regarded as one of the most important voices in Caribbean literature. Born in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, she studied at the Sorbonne in Paris before spending twelve years living and working in West Africa, particularly Guinea, Ghana, and Senegal. These experiences profoundly influenced her writing and inspired her interest in African history, colonialism, slavery, and the connections between Africa and its diaspora. Her extensive literary career included novels such as Heremakhonon (1976), Segu (1984), I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem (1986), and The Last of the African Kings (1992). She taught French and Francophone literature at several American universities, including Columbia University. In 2018, she received the New Academy Prize in Literature, often described as the alternative Nobel Prize, in recognition of her contribution to world literature.

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Details
Published
1984
Author
Maryse Condé