Black Docker

by Ousmane Sembène

Set in the 1950s, this book tells of Diaw Falla, a docker for whom work exists merely to finance his true obsession - his writing. As his novel nears completion, he meets Ginette Tontisanne whose good connections ensure he is published - but, to his dismay, under her name. Set in the 1950s, this book tells of Diaw Falla, a docker for whom work exists merely to finance his true obsession - his writing. As his novel nears completion, he meets Ginette Tontisanne whose good connections ensure he is published - but, to his dismay, under her name.

Genres: Senegal, Fiction, Literature, African Literature, France, Africa

Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Ousmane Sembène often credited in the French style as Sembène Ousmane in articles and reference works, was a Senegalese film director, producer and writer. The Los Angeles Times considered him one of the greatest authors of Africa and has often been called the "Father of African film."

Reviews

[Raul]

3.5 stars

"But now he knew that life was a daily struggle. He learned to loathe the poets and painters who depicted only beauty, who celebrated the glory of spring, forgetting the bitterness of the cold."
This is the debut novel of legendary Senegalese writer and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène. It’s a book that draws from the experiences of its author as docker working in France. A book that’s clearly and unmistakably a socio-political novel.

The story focuses on the Black docker Diaw Falla, and his community of mostly West African immigrants living in post-Second world war Marseille, and his literary exploits: he works hard as a docker and secludes himself to work on his book about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, after he’s finished with his book he can’t find a publisher for it, is referred to Ginette Tontisanne, who is already a published writer, who appropriates the whole book and publishes it as her own to great acclaim and wins a prize for it. While confronting her about it Falla gets physically abusive, injures Ginette who dies from her injuries and is soon arrested for murder.

If I give out the premise of the book, it’s not to spoil the book, but the structure of this book is such that it is told at its beginning and Sembène unspools the story to show the conditions that led up to the tragedy while exploring racism and the horrible state Black and Arab immigrants were in, and the terrible state labourers and workers and the marginal were in. Among the social issues it explores is how individuals in the French colonies fought for France during both wars and barely got any recognition nor are they eligible for the benefits their white and native counterparts get. It’s an important book that unfortunately remains relevant to the present situation.

[salifu]

Incredible to imagine that this was Sembene’s debut work. Diaw Falla is written as such a rich and complex character. The perfect device to explore concepts like class consciousness and colonialism. Very inspiring.

Incroyable d'imaginer que c'était le premier travail de Sembene. Diaw Falla est écrit comme un personnage si riche et complexe. L'appareil idéal pour explorer des concepts tels que la conscience de classe et le colonialisme. Très inspirant.

[Aspleened]

On est plus sur un 3.5, je souligne la qualité d'ouvrage des éditions Héliotropismes qui offre une vraie mise en contexte du travail et de la vie d'Ousmane Sembène que je ne connaissais qu'à travers ses films. Je vous conseille toutefois de passer la préface et d'y revenir une fois la nouvelle terminée. Le Docker Noir est une nouvelle poignante avec de vrais moments forts assez inédits dans le paysage littéraire francophone (à mon humble avis), la dernière partie m'a particulièrement touchée ainsi qu'un épisode de grève au cours du roman. Cependant l'écriture est parfois un peu absente et la postface est assez éclairante là dessus mais il y a de vrais éclats qui m'ont donné envie de lire ses œuvres postérieures.

[river_oh]

An amazing commentary on structural injustice that plagues institutional imprisonment, injustice and the bias which dictates moral judgment, but the translation was just not it for me.
many periods left like they dragged and i found myself enjoying the book the most along diaw's inner monologues over character interactions and dialogue.
holds the same spirit of his films and i hope to continue to read his body of literary work, but his first entry feels slightly rough around the edges

edit: also i know this is an aged publication, but the way they talk about women and abortions and the "immortality of homosexuality" WTF NOT CHILL
he was so close yall 😭😭

[Anaïs]

Bien plus un livre théorique qu'un roman. En fait assez inégal entre une première partie vraiment passionnante, puis une deuxième partie très longue, où on se perd un peu, sur les événements qui ont mené au crime puis une troisième partie en forme de lettre qui est une sorte de pamphlet. Intéressant sur la vie des immigrés noirs en France dans les années 50, le racisme institutionnel, les moyens de survivre sans jamais s'en sortir.

[Poing à la ligne]

Un très beau premier roman qui nous plonge dans le quotidien d'un docker noir a Marseille dans les années 50. La première partie est édifiante sur la question raciale, et les mécanismes du racisme systémique. La deuxième partie se situe à un niveau plus individuel, évoque la misère des ouvriers, la situation des immigrés africains et rend hommage à la si particulière ville de Marseille. La dernière partie, la lettre je l'ai trouvée moins aboutie, moins pertinente et elle correspond à l'étoile manquante dans ma note. Malgré cette fin un peu décevante 'Le docker noir' est une lecture édifiante et magnifique ❤️

[Pohesi]

Incroyable - Belsunce, années 50, les dockers de Marseille, violence du racisme et de la condition d’ouvrier
La postface de l’édition permet de comprendre le militantisme internationaliste de l’auteur, des réseaux littéraires et politiques marseillais dans lesquels il luttait, et de son détachement du mouvement de la négritude (pas suffisamment universel, trop bourgeois et loin des préoccupations sociales et politiques du peuple)
Hop je vais écouter une émission France Culture sur lui

[Doug]

A very short book that can be a challenging read, largely, I think due to the stiff nature of translation. This is an excellent example of the racism faced by Africans in Europe during the later half of the 20th century. Originally read during a modern European history course that I took in college.

[yen nguyen]

maybe the translation is just clunky

[Ronan Doyle]

Remarkable form for a first novel, as good as any of the later Sembène I've read. This one is rife with righteous anger, caustic in laying out the institutional racism of the French justice system as a thing to be taken for granted. The autobiographical aspects lend Diaw a raw reality as lead character, less formed of empathy than weary, worldly experience.

[Sammi Slusher]

Literary brilliance.

[Andrea]

Sembene Ousmane's first novel, and it has all of a first novel's growing pains but still a great read. It opens a fascinating and grim window onto the Black diaspora experience in Marseilles in the 1950s, along with the fierce and harsh life of the dock workers. In terms of a tight story line and plotting this isn't quite there yet, the central character could still use a bit more depth as the story seems to focus more on circumstance and conditions, and the portrayal of women isn't the best (though it does show a glimpse of some of the racial and cultural intermingling along the waterfront), and it definitely has a rather cinematic rather than literary layout, but much recommended.

[David]

Sappy and coarse - possibly exacerbated by a translation that is oftentimes antiquated, replete with gallicisms and weird punctuation -, this short novel is still an informative read as a reflection of the historical times (70s France) and politics (immigration and racism). For present-day readers the overt sexism and homophobia will probably stand out the most; indeed, the frank and presumably uncritical accounting of this is a warning and lesson to all progressive forces.