Overview

Postcolonial African writers have made an enormous contribution to world literature. These writers frequently examine such issues as emerging identities in the postcolonial climate, neo-colonialism and new forms of oppression, cultural and political hegemonies, neo-elitism, language appropriation, and economic instability. During the last decade, their works have elicited increasing critical attention. This reference book overviews the richness of postcolonial African literature. The volume focuses on how postcoloniality is reflected in the novels, poetry, prose, and drama of major, minor, and emerging writers from diverse countries in Africa, including representative North and South African writers as well as writers of the Indian diaspora born in Africa. While authors in indigenous African languages continue to produce valuable works, the volume principally considers Anglophone and Francophone authors, along with two Lusophone writers. The reference book begins with an introductory essay on postcolonial criticism and African writing. The volume then presents alphabetically arranged profiles of approximately 60 writers, such as Chinua Achebe, Ama Ata Aidoo, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Buchi Emecheta, Nadine Gordimer, Bessie Head, Tabar Ben Jelloun, Doris Lessing, Peter Nazareth, Gabriel Okara, Femi Osofisan, and Efua Theodora Sutherland. Each entry includes a brief biography, a discussion of major works and themes that appear in the author's writings, an overview of the critical response to the author's works, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. These profiles are written by expert contributors and reflect many valuable perspectives. The volume concludes with a selected general bibliography of the most important critical works on postcolonial African literature.

Full Product Details

Author:   Siga Fatima Jagne ,  Pushpa Parekh ,  Carole Boyce Davies
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Greenwood Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 3.00cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.956kg
ISBN:  

9780313290565

ISBN 10:   0313290563
Pages:   560
Publication Date:   17 July 1998
Recommended Age:   From 7 to 17 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Carole Boyce Davies Preface Introduction by Pushpa Naidu Parekh and Siga Fatima Jagne Chinua Achebe by Emmanuel S. Nelson Ama Ata Aidoo by Hildegard Hoeller Zaynab Alkali by Christine Loflin Ayi Kwei Armah by Samuel A. Dseagu Kofi Awoonor by Alma Jean Billingslea-Brown Mariama Bâ by Siga Fatima Jagne Calixthe Beyala by Juliana Makuchi Nfah-Abbenyi Dennis Vincent Frederick Brutus John Bruin by Craig W. McLuckie Driss Chraïbi by Lynne Dumont Rogers J. P. Clark-Bekederemo by Emevwo Biakolo Mia Couto by Jared Banks Tsitsi Dangarembga by Eleni Coundouriotis Nafissatou Diallo by Lisa McNee David Mandessi Diop by Ode S. Ogede Assia Djebar by Mary B. Vogl Emmanuel Boundzeki Dongala by Anne E. Lessick-Xiao Buchi Emecheta by Marie Umeh Femi Euba by Iyunolu Folayan Osagie Aminata Sow Fall by Dominic Thomas Nuruddin Farah by Hema Chari Athol Fugard by Jo E. Nel Nadine Gordimer by Carol P. Marsh-Lockett Mafika Gwala by Jogamaya Bayer Bessie Head by Elaine Savory Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike by Chinyere Grace Okafor Francis Imbuga by J. Roger Kurtz Festus Ikhuoria Ojeaga Iyayi by Chinyere Grace Okafor Tahar Ben Jelloun by Soraya Mékerta Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine by Lynne Dumont Rogers Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa by Jared Banks Ellen Kuzwayo by Lindsay Pentolfe Aegerter Alex La Guma by Harold Barratt Camara Laye by Brian Evenson and David Beus Doris Lessing by Christine W. Sizemore Muthoni Likimani by Maxine Beahan Dambudzo Marechera by Brian Evenson Micere M. Githae Mugo by Judith Imali Abala Peter Nazareth by J. Roger Kurtz Ng~ugiwa Thiong'o by John C. Hawley Lewis Nkosi by Brinda Bose Flora Nwapa by Christine Loflin Molara Ogundipe-Leslie by Ode S. Ogede Gabriel Okara by Pushpa Naidu Parekh Christopher Ifeanyichukwu Okigbo by Nalini Iyer Ben Okri by Robert Bennett Femi Osofisan by Elaine Savory Ferdinand Oyono by Vanessa Everson Essop Patel by Jogamaya Bayer Alan Paton by Jo E. Nel Okot p'Bitek by Awuor Ayodo Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo by Moradewun A. Adejunmobi Tijan Sallah by Siga Fatima Jagne Olive Schreiner by Nicholas Birns Leïla Sebbar by S. D. Ménager Léopold Sédar Senghor by Samba Diop Wole Soyinka by Femi Euba Efua Theodora Sutherland by Adaku T. Ankumah Sony Labou Tansi by Dominic Thomas Mositi Torontle by Musa W. Dube Amos Tutuola by Norman Weinstein Selected Bibliography Index

Reviews

.,. in general, Postcolonial African Writers: A Bio-Biographical Critical Sourcebook is one of the most welcomed ones...is a useful tool, resource and medium.... the book is so well written and approachable that the over five hundred pages can be delightfully covered, providing the reader with a unique opportunity to learn a lot about African literatures in a short period of time....in general a great addition to African literature....will always be an asset for the further research and serious study that African literatures, like the literatures of the world, invite. -Journal of Third World Studies

.,.""in general, Postcolonial African Writers: A Bio-Biographical Critical Sourcebook is one of the most welcomed ones...is a useful tool, resource and medium.... the book is so well written and approachable that the over five hundred pages can be delightfully covered, providing the reader with a unique opportunity to learn a lot about African literatures in a short period of time....in general a great addition to African literature....will always be an asset for the further research and serious study that African literatures, like the literatures of the world, invite.""-Journal of Third World Studies ?...in general, Postcolonial African Writers: A Bio-Biographical Critical Sourcebook is one of the most welcomed ones...is a useful tool, resource and medium.... the book is so well written and approachable that the over five hundred pages can be delightfully covered, providing the reader with a unique opportunity to learn a lot about African literatures in a short period of time....in general a great addition to African literature....will always be an asset for the further research and serious study that African literatures, like the literatures of the world, invite.?-Journal of Third World Studies ?A much-needed sourcebook, this work brings together resources that would normally be scattered over several volumes and presents a critical examination of the issues, advantages, and shortcomings of postcolonial theory as it relates to African writing....The book is excellent in scope and organization. The divergent intellectual and cultural frameworks of both the writers and contributors represented in this volume present a cogent discussion of the many ways in which Africans are circumscribing their own expereinces for global audiences.?-H-Net Reviews ?Its authors intended Postcolonial African Writers to be a cornerstone for more specific, focused work in the field. It seems particularly well suited to be just that. Reading any of the thoughtful essays in this book should move the industrious scholar to do more research, as each stands alone as a strong introduction to its topic. Postcolonial African Writers fills a large gap in the reference literature, and is an important addition to cultural and literary studies. It would be a valuable research tool in any library supporting an undergraduate or graduate literature program.?-RUSQ ""A much-needed sourcebook, this work brings together resources that would normally be scattered over several volumes and presents a critical examination of the issues, advantages, and shortcomings of postcolonial theory as it relates to African writing....The book is excellent in scope and organization. The divergent intellectual and cultural frameworks of both the writers and contributors represented in this volume present a cogent discussion of the many ways in which Africans are circumscribing their own expereinces for global audiences.""-H-Net Reviews ""Its authors intended Postcolonial African Writers to be a cornerstone for more specific, focused work in the field. It seems particularly well suited to be just that. Reading any of the thoughtful essays in this book should move the industrious scholar to do more research, as each stands alone as a strong introduction to its topic. Postcolonial African Writers fills a large gap in the reference literature, and is an important addition to cultural and literary studies. It would be a valuable research tool in any library supporting an undergraduate or graduate literature program.""-RUSQ ""Students of modern literature will benefit from the prefatory essays on the ""postcolonial"" concept in this biographical, critical, and bibliographical introduction to 60 African writers. General readers will benefit from the clear, knowledgeable, and fascinating insights presented on many new and little-known African writers, as well as authors of international reputation. Teachers adding diversity to literature classes will find this an invaluable source....Highly recommended for specialist literary and Africana collections; a useful introduction to African writers for general collections.""-Choice

Author Information

PUSHPA NAIDU PAREKH is Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature in the English Department of Spelman College. She teaches courses on postcolonial literature, women in non-Western literatures, African literature, the African diaspora, world literature, British literature, and immigrant women's literature. SIGA FATIMA JAGNE is presently the International Consultant, Researcher and Scholar with the women's development group ADCO Consultancy and Associates, in Gambia. She has served as Assistant Professor in Comparative Literature in the English Department of Spelman College. She has taught courses on African literature, the African diaspora, world literature, and literary theory and criticism.

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