Why must writers from Africa always bear the burden of representing their continent? They should be granted artistic freedom, as other authors areAfrican literature, as it’s called, is enjoying a bit of a moment, with the western media regularly heralding splashes, rebirths, dawns. When I published my novel Ghana Must Go in 2013 I joined a list of writers that, on the face of things, appears encouragingly long. There are my fellow Nigerians Chinelo Okparanta, Chimamanda Adichie, Helen Oyeyemi, Helon Habila, Chris Abani, Teju Cole; the Kenyans Yvonne Owuor, Binya Wainaina, Mukoma Wa Ngũgĩ; the Ethiopians Maaza Mengiste, Dinaw Mengestu; the Sierra Leoneans Aminatta Forna, Olufemi Terry; the Zimbabweans Petina Gappah, NoViolet Bulawayo. It seems that African literature is the literary dish du jour, like the Indian (more Lahiris!) and Middle Eastern (more Hosseinis!) dishes before.Of course, one could argue that 50-odd writers emerging from a continent of 1.1 billion people represent more of a trickle than a wave. So, too, might one question the media’s fondness for these little ethnic trends. (When did the white male novelist’s moment begin, and when will it end?) One might pause to wonder what so-called African novels have in common: does the commercial category function as a creative one, as well? The Scottish-born novelist Aminatta Forna has asked why her novel The Hired Man, set in Croatia, is sometimes found in the “African section” of bookshops. What of Helen Oyeyemi’s... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why must writers from Africa always bear the burden of representing their continent? They should be granted artistic freedom, as other authors areAfrican literature, as it’s called, is enjoying a bit of a moment, with the western media regularly heralding splashes, rebirths, dawns. When I... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the NYTimes, Felicia R. Lee asks if the 'new wave of African writers' with an international appeal are drawing attention away from African-American voices. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From student workshops and academic conferences to literary awards and book clubs, African American literary organizations work to support writers and readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Petina Gappah’s “Out of Darkness, Shining Light” is the latest example of a new generation of African novelists reinventing historical fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-10-03 17:21:24 UTC ]
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Petina Gappah’s “Out of Darkness, Shining Light” is the latest example of a new generation of African novelists reinventing historical fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-10-03 17:21:00 UTC ]
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Petina Gappah’s “Out of Darkness, Shining Light” is the latest example of a new generation of African novelists reinventing historical fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-10-03 17:21:00 UTC ]
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Self-published author Faleena Hopkins asserted her right to the word, but judge calls attempt to stop other authors using it ‘weak’ Romance writers around the world can breathe a sigh of relief after a US court ruled that they can continue to use the adjective “cocky” in their book titles, after... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Myriad has commissioned writer and broadcaster Margaret Busby to compile a "major" new anthology about African women writers from the past 25 years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tinder Press has acquired a story collection and debut novel from Lesley Nneka Arimah, winner of the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Aleya Kassam explains how Kenyan writers are embracing the idea of branding and taking control of their careers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The death of novelist Chinua Achebe has been confirmed. A statement from The Wylie Agency... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The award-winning fiction writer, poet, and playwright, whose best-known and most influential work, the story collection 'Jesus' Son,' turned 25 this year, has died. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Australian author is ‘incredibly influential’, but has had to survive decades of ‘cultural cringe’ and genre snobbery to make finally ‘a decent sort of living’Before parched and dusty towns across Australia became full of fictional sinister people; before the explosion of outback noir and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-04-05 23:00:18 UTC ]
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Author Jill Hoffman, the daughter of a writer, explores her complex relationship with her daughter, yet another writer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Twenty-seven writers have been recognised at this year's annual Northern Writers’ Awards, sharing the £47,000 prize fund to enable their new writing in progress, across forms including prose, poetry and television. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-07-09 14:11:07 UTC ]
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You go to a coffee shop in order to focus on your craft. What do you order? A. A black coffee. B. An almond milk matcha. What is your critically acclaimed debut novel about? A. A man getting stuck on a subway train and revisiting the weight of all of the mistakes he’s made in […] The post... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-01 11:00:37 UTC ]
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Spread the Word has chosen 30 writers from underrepresented backgrounds for its second annual London Writers Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-23 16:49:46 UTC ]
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African publishers should publish more books in indigenous languages to stop their disappearance and to increase the awareness of African writers in their own countries, the celebrated Kenyan writer and activist Ngugi wa Thing’o told delegates at the second International Publishers Association... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-13 23:53:47 UTC ]
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SERIES Movie Night With Karlie Kloss The supermodel and her celebrity guests watch flicks, play games and gab in this new series. First up, 2002’s “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” 6:30 p.m. Freeform The Perfect Suspect The debut installment of this true-crime series tells the tale of... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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