New edition. Gregoire Nakobomayo, a petty criminal, has decided to kill his girlfriend Germaine. Hes planned the crime for some time, but still, the act of murder requires a bit of psychological and logistical preparation. Luckily, he has a mentor to call on, the far more accomplished serial killer Angoualima. The fact that Angoualima is dead doesn’t prevent Gregoire from holding lengthy conversations with him. Little by little, Gregoire interweaves Angoualima's life and criminal exploits with his own. Translated from the French by Christine Schwartz Hartley. 164pp, UK. SERPENT'S TAIL.

Two years of efforts to put together a new band have been crowned by this new album recorded in Brazzaville. On it, Zao pins a new insect into his collection: Mouche (Fly); we laugh at his jokes: Elle a deux diables (She Has Two Devils) and Ze taime (I Love You); and his decisive eloquence shines through in his burlesque portrayals of Congolese society: Virginité (Virginity), Mon Enfant (My Child) and Laiguille (The Needle). ‘I don’t know where my songs come from. My brain works and I write, says Zao. I only sing the truth. I’m the product of a society that shapes me, and I draw my inspiration from events. While things that go wrong must be condemned, I don’t want to smear anyone, only to leave marks.’ 12 tracks, FRANCE. LUSAFRICA.

A volume in the Marxist Regimes Series, providing a brief introduction to the different histories and development of three countries, Benin, the Congo and Burkina Faso, former French colonies which have moved politically to the left. Index, bib, tables, maps, 300pp, UK. PINTER.

1988 086187482X Paperback

First study of the African explorer, focussing on the story of his visionary humanism. Brazza rejected the racism of his age and embraced the African people with respect and equality, signing a treaty with the leader of the Bateke people, whose influence spanned over 725,000 square miles. Richly illustrated with 200 b/w and colour photographs, drawings and paintings. 240pp, USA. UMBRAGE EDITIONS.

Unique portrait of a country long ignored by the rest of the world. This first-person account, based on original research and interviews, tells the story of militiamen who are led by a dreadlocked reincarnation of Christ, of exorcisms and sorcery, of pygmies who are owned by their masters, of timber companies exploiting the rain forest, and of the wars that have been caused by oil. 2Index, notes, bib, chrono, maps, col photos, 238pp, UK. FRANCES LINCOLN.

The history of 'Credit Gone Away', a squalid Congolese bar, is related by one of its most loyal custom-ers, Broken Glass, who has been commissioned by its owner to set down an account of the characters who frequent it. Broken Glass himself is a disgraced alcoholic school teacher with a love of French language and literature which he has largely failed to communicate to his pupils but which he displays in the pages of his notebook. The notebook is also a farewell to the bar and to his fellow drinkers. After writing the final words Broken Glass will go down to the River Tchinouka and throw himself into its murky waters, where his lamented mother also drowned. 176pp, UK. SERPENT'S TAIL.

Explores the changing relationship between women and the Catholic Church from the establishment of the first mission stations in the late 1880s to the present. Phyllis M. Martin emphasizes the social identity of mothers and the practice of motherhood, a prime concern of Congo-lese women, as they individually and collectively made sense of their place within the Church. 280pp, USA. INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Investigates the role of chiefs under the French from 1896 to 1960: how were they chosen and promoted ? How did they relate to those they ruled ? Did they collaborate with the French or were they partly in conflict with the colonial power? IN FRENCH, 140pp, FRANCE. L' HARMATTAN.

Why did the democratic experiment launched in the Republic of Congo in 1991 fail so dramatically in 1997? Why has it not been seriously resumed since then? In tackling these complex questions, John Clark provides an analysis of more than fifteen years of Congolese politics and explores a series of hypotheses on why democracy failed to take root in that country, moving from political culture to economic performance, ethno-regional identities, French foreign policy, the role of militias, and institutional design. Also discusses the country's present electoral authoritarian regime. Bib, index, 309pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER.

Colour photographs of the sartorial cult of the Congolese Sapeur. Each one has his own repertoire of gestures that distinguishes him from the others. They are also after their own great dream: to travel to Paris and to return to Bacongo as lords of elegance. Preface by Paul Smith. 224pp, UK. TROLLEY.

Nine essays describe the work of Medecins sans Frontierres in the midst of civil conflicts: 1998-2000, in Congo Brazzaville. Maps, chronology, notes, in French, 176pp, FRANCE. KARTHALA, 2845862067

New in paperback. Elias Almeida, professional revolutionary, has seen humankind at its pitiless worst. Witness as a child to the death of both his parents in uprisings in Angola and the Congo, and later as a Soviet agent at the heart of African politics, he has observed murder, rape, pillage and starvation in the name of ideology, and suffered imprisonment and torture. Yet he continues to believe in a better world and the redeeming power of love - the love of humanity, and the love between individuals. And in his own case, the love of one woman, a Russian who rescued him from thugs one snowy night on the streets of Moscow. Translated from the Russian by Geoffrey Strachan. 256pp, UK. SCEPTRE.

Investigates recreational activities: football, fashion, music, dance, and night life, and discusses how they promoted the development of new cultural values and traditions in Brazzaville during the colonial occupation. BNS, maps, tables, illus, 295pp, UK. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0521524466

A sociological history of the central African country from its first elections in 1946 to the political strife of the early 1990s. In French. Maps, notes, bib, 459pp, FRANCE. KARTHALA, 2865377393

Gives an account of meetings held with government authorities, civil society organizations, indigenous communities and other stakeholders, it describes the situation of the indigenous populations in the Republic of Congo and it makes recommendations to the Congolese government, civil society organizations and the international community. IN ENGLISH & FRENCH. 79pp, DENMARK. IWGIA.

Eight short stories piecing together a perceptive view of a post-colonial African nation. 86pp, UK. HEINEMANN AFRICAN WRITERS SERIES.