« La valse d’un pèlerin à la Mecque » : un souffle nouveau pour le roman africain
With the publication of A Pilgrim's Waltz to Mecca, Professor Arona Coumba Ndoffène DIOUF offers the Senegalese public a work that combines spiritual depth, historical richness, and anecdotal flavor. As Paul Klee wrote, "Art does not reproduce the visible, but makes it visible," and this is exactly what the author achieves by showing the experience of the Hajj in all its human and universal dimension.
The novel represents a remarkable breakthrough in the Senegalese and even international literary landscape. The work is distinguished by its innovative narrative approach, transcending conventional literary classifications to create a new category of novels. Until now, literature distinguished truth through the realistic novel, which attempts to reproduce reality, and autobiography, where the author mixes his own story with fiction.
Professor Arona Coumba Ndoffene DIOUF invents a third way, that of the "real novel", the "true novel", not to say "the novel of the true". He will have succeeded in a pioneering work where, according to the vision of Sony Labou TANSI, the African artist becomes the one who "holds the lamp facing the shadow", illuminating with courage and lucidity the often invisible dimensions of the sacred.
In his book, he does not invent. He starts from an actual journey, that of Malick SONKO and his companions who performed the Hajj at the same time as him, and recounts it with the most elaborate tools of literature without ever altering the truth of the facts. Thus, he creates an unprecedented concordance between narrative fiction and the truth of the events. It was a risky artistic gamble but today a successful one. "Beauty in Africa is not dissociated from the just, the true, the necessary." Here, literature becomes an act of truth and transmission, said Léopold Sédar Senghor, a quote that resonates perfectly with this work where literary aesthetics serves a quest for truth and meaning.
What makes this story so original is the way the author takes us by the hand to take us on an adventure that is both intimate and universal. We don't read this book, we live it. The landscapes of Mecca unfold before our eyes, and the doubts and hopes of the pilgrims become our own. The author, like a craftsman attentive to the material he sculpts, does not seek to embellish reality. He listens to it, respects it, and simply gives it a more vibrant, more sincere voice, simply by making us walk alongside Malick SONKO, sharing his questions, his surprises, his wonder.
And what makes this story universal is that its story could be that of any other pilgrim. The book traces the sacred rites of the Hajj, recalls the thousand-year-old history of the Kaaba, and sheds light on contemporary issues in Mecca. But it is also distinguished by a sometimes amusing tone, made up of comical scenes, colorful characters, and situations where humanity takes center stage.
"A Pilgrim's Waltz to Mecca" is more than a book: it's an encounter. We embark on a journey, alongside a storyteller who makes us laugh, reflect, and get to the heart of the matter. Through delightful anecdotes and lucid perspectives, the author, a scientist, writer, and believer, shows us that the pilgrimage is not just a rite, but a path toward oneself, toward others, and toward God. Without ever judging, he recounts with humility and warmth what makes this quest so beautiful, as well as its sometimes human excesses.
This book speaks to everyone: to those who have made the Hajj, to those who dream of accomplishing it, as well as to those who are simply seeking an authentic spiritual adventure.
Thus, the book brilliantly proves that it is not always necessary to invent to create great literature. By recounting reality with respect, sensitivity, and artistry, the author transforms a lived experience into a human and spiritual adventure that touches, teaches, and elevates. The power of this story lies precisely in this magical alchemy: sublimating the truth without betraying it, and making the simplicity of experience the source of a powerful and necessary work.
Available now in newsstands across Senegal and on several online platforms, it's a must-read for learning, reflecting... and smiling. May this novel inspire you as much as it honored me to be a part of its story.
Malick SONKO
Literary analyst
Actor in the story
Commentaires (22)
Bon courage professeur Arona Coumba Ndoffène
celui que tout le monde attendait impatiemment ??
Je pense que c'est lui qui a écrit ce texte
Le monde va en couilles décidément
Dieureudieuf Serigne Touba ! Sant Serigne Touba rek !
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter ou TikTok pour l'afficher automatiquement.