Raquel Ilonbé

Raquel del Pozo Epita, known by her literary name Raquel Ilonbé, was born on Corisco Island around 1938, the daughter of a Spanish father and a Benga mother. Raised in Spain, Ilonbé remained deeply drawn to her African roots, traveling back to Bioko and Río Muni.

In 1978, she published her lyrical poetry collection Ceiba in Madrid. Traversing remote villages, she collected traditional oral fables from Benga and Fang storytellers, publishing Leyendas guineanas in 1981—the first illustrated children's book in Equatoguinean literature. She died in 1992, leaving a legacy of cultural bridges.