Douala will on Saturday, September 27, 2025, witness a major literary and cultural event with the launch of three works authored by Dr. Ndimancho Michael Tarche, PhD researcher and prolific writer. The ceremony, to take place at the Town Hall of the Douala V Council in Bonamoussadi, is expected to attract scholars, cultural custodians, policy makers, and lovers of literature.
The launch brings to the public two brand-new publications alongside a revised edition of a groundbreaking earlier work. Collectively, the three books interrogate Africa’s historical trajectory, cultural identity, and the complex interface between tradition and modernity.
The first of the new works, African Culture: Made Barren by the Early Missionaries, is a bold and uncompromising critique of the colonial encounter. With a foreword by Professor Akuhmbom Mac Anthony, anthropologist, theologian, and Pan-Africanist, the book dissects how European missionaries, armed with the Bible and colonial ideology, dismantled rich African spiritual traditions and replaced them with a hollow version of Christianity stripped of its essence. It challenges Africans to reclaim their buried past, reconnect with ancestral wisdom, and reject distortions of history imposed by outsiders.
NONI: The Untold History of an Indescriptible People
The second work, NONI: The Untold History of an Indescriptible People, is a monumental ethnographic record of the Noni tribe, introduced by anthropologist Dr. Forgwei Gideon in a powerful foreword. It explores their origins, traditions, economy, and self-reliant development initiatives, while also recounting the painful reality of how some of their villages were carved away by neighboring groups, leaving behind a reduced yet resilient people.
The text stands as both an act of memory and a call to preserve indigenous heritage in the face of erasure.
Completing the trio is a freshly written novel, Father Osi and the Village Spirits, a creative work that blends storytelling with social commentary. Set in the fictional village of Kalatu, the narrative illustrates a unique model of interfaith collaboration where Christian and traditional spiritual leaders work hand in hand to nurture harmony and progress. Beyond its literary beauty, the novel reflects deeply on how African communities can reconcile imported faith with indigenous beliefs to build inclusive and peaceful societies.
Dr. Ndimancho Michael, PhD Researcher.
In his pre-launch remarks, Dr. Ndimancho described the event as “a moment of rediscovery and intellectual empowerment.” He extended an open invitation to scholars, students, cultural activists, and the public at large to be part of what he termed “a conversation that transcends literature to touch on the soul of Africa itself.”
Scholars who have previewed the works note their relevance at a time when debates on decolonization, cultural identity, and African self-definition are gaining renewed urgency. The books, they say, combine rigorous research with passionate advocacy, positioning Dr. Ndimancho as one of the boldest voices in contemporary African thought.
The September 27 launch will not only unveil the volumes to Cameroonian readers but also open conversations on Africa’s cultural future. For Dr. Ndimancho, this is less about book sales than about igniting a movement of critical consciousness.
As Bonamoussadi prepares to host the literary gathering, the event is already being hailed as one of the highlights of Cameroon’s intellectual calendar in 2025.
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