Gilles Dossou-Gouin was born in Benin. His first novel, published in 1996, God's Symbolism and the Imaginary was a critical, socio-political satire. The book created a sensation that lead to Gilles Dossou-Gouin's exile in Senegal. His second novel The Black Cry of the Negro was published in June of 2003 with the help of UNESCO.