Emmanuel Dongala
Quick Facts
Biography
Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala (born 1941) is a Congolese chemist and novelist. He was Richard B. Fisher Chair in Natural Sciences at Bard College at Simon's Rock until 2014.
In 1997, he was dean of the Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville when war broke out in the Republic of Congo. Bard President Leon Botstein, who has aided a number of refugee professors, offered him a job teaching chemistry at the American college.
As a chemist, his specialty is stereochemistry and asymmetric synthesis, as well as environmental toxicology.
He is the author of a number of award-winning novels including Johnny Mad Dog (French: Johnny Chien Méchant) and Little Boys Come from the Stars. His work is featured in the Penguin Book of Modern African Poetry, and he has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.There is a film based on his book Jonny Mad Dog;Johnny Mad Dog is a 2008 French/Liberian film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, and starring Christopher Minie, Daisy Victoria Vandy, Dagbeh Tweh, Barry Chernoh, Mohammed Sesay and Joseph Duo. He was winner of the 2004 Cezam Prix Littéraire Inter CE for Johnny chien méchant.