The daughter of a French mother and a Senegalese father, she was born Catherine N'Diaye in Baccarat, Meurthe-et-Moselle and grew up in Africa.

From 1982 to 1983, she worked in the office of the director general of UNESCO.

Shan then was employed as a journalist, working with the group "Jeune Afrique", for the magazine Géo, for Radio Nederlands and as a freelancer.

She also wrote or directed a number of films.

This article about a Senegalese writer or poet is a stub.