Jean Pierre Makosso of Gibsons is a born story-teller.
"Life is made to be told," he said. "Any moment is a chapter in your life."
He is also a performer, acting in dramas and at festivals for adults and children. In recent years, he has earned a reputation as a writer. Makosso has published books of poetry in French that tell about his roots in Africa's Congo and something about his life in Canada. His last, Human Works, was published by Editions Dedicaces in Quebec in both English and French.
At a book launch in Montreal last month, Makosso launched his first novel in French, Il était une fois ce jour-là. It translates as Once Upon a Time That Day.
There was a lot to write about this time, he said, best covered in a longer book that tells the story of an African father, his son and the shimmering freedom of France.
The story is a little bit fiction and a little bit real, he said.
It is based on the true stories of a man in Makosso's former Congo neighbourhood who had been to war and had became anxious for the future of his own African country after it achieved independence.
The plot involves an African man who fought in France during the Second World War and admired the country of liberty and equality. The veteran calls himself General de Gaulle's friend and cloaks his memories with an aura of honour. When he returns to Africa, he wants to let the younger generation know about this wonderful country.
"Get yourself to France," the old warrior tells his only son. "You'll see things you never imagined."
His son goes to the bright lights of Paris, but lives a different reality than his father. He realizes he must fight to achieve an education and he must adapt. Where is the best world to be, the son wonders? Ultimately it's an optimistic story, Makosso assures the reader.
Comments from Thierry Rollet, a literary agent, point out that the work is written in the words of a poet, that its anguish and tragedies are expressed by singing the words and phrases in what he calls "a magic recipe."
Makosso's use of language is unique. He tells us that he thinks in Vili, the language of his homeland, and many of the stories passed on to him by his mother are in that language. He has to feel the stories in Vili before writing them down in French and performing them in English.
Makosso is thrilled that the book has been so well received and a trip to Paris for promotion is planned for the future. He will also be reading for Vancouver's Congolese community and because Makosso so loves his home in Gibsons, he wants to hold a Sunshine Coast book launch at a later date.
Meanwhile Makosso has just finished hosting the Multicultural Festival in Sechelt and performing at Canada Day celebrations. He takes off for the Children's Festival in Whistler this month and then on to French camp in Vancouver where he offers workshops and story-telling to kids.
In between, he still finds time to write. There are many more stories to be told.
