Postcolonial African Writers

A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook

Siga Fatima Jagne, Pushpa Parekh

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Year: 1998
• Print ISBN:
  9780313290565
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781567508802
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

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.

Table of contents

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