Camara Laye

Camara Laye
BornJanuary 1, 1928
Kouroussa, French Guinea
DiedFebruary 4, 1980 (aged 52)
Dakar, Senegal
OccupationWriter
NationalityGuinean
Notable worksThe African Child
The Radiance of the King
Notable awardsPrix Charles Veillon

Camara Laye (January 1, 1928 – February 4, 1980) was a writer from Guinea. His most well-known works are The African Child (L'Enfant noir), a novel based loosely on his own childhood, and The Radiance of the King (Le Regard du roi). Both novels are among the earliest major works in Francophone African literature. Camara Laye later worked for the government of newly independent Guinea, but went into voluntary exile over political issues.