African writer Series

[Jamster]

I had a keyboard problem.

[Gladiator]

Nuruddin Farah was kindly excluded from list not for reasons i assume lack of popularity of his work but in regard to his characteristics or origins. Africans in fact do not consider Somalis as African.

 

Winner of International Prize for Literature and English Literary Award, how an earth could his name be out?

[rudy-Diiriye]

my favourite is cry the beloved country! any read this book!

[Tahliil]

SECRETS has banned Nuraddin Farah from being a credible, responsible, respected author in the eyes of so many African readers. I remember him winning a Luarete for that book in which he portrays graphic scenes (sex) between a somali father and his son, a father and a cow, etc. This had shocked many people and was to many a slap in their faces from someone they regarded as the only beacon or hope or voice they had in the world arena...Does anyone read that book? any comments on it?

[Caano Geel]

Gladiator, Nuraddin Farax is not Heinman writer and as Lakkad said doesn't get the prestige of AWS, which is a shame but then this is done for publicity (and a good one at that) rather than to educate the wider world about African writers.

 

Rudy thanks for the recommendation ..i think... I've never read cry ... but sounds interesting will put it in my to read list (which seems to be growing exponentially), thanks

 

Tahliil, come on man you kiddin me right?, was he discredited in your eyes? Is it not a writers prerogative to use their imagination to tell a story? no matter how perverse and the reader to judge them on the quality of their writing and stories rather than what moral etiquette's or codes they flaunt?

 

On that note who here feels that literature should not be published if deemed damaging to the moral fabric of a society?

[Macalin]

On that note who here feels that literature should not be published if deemed damaging to the moral fabric of a society?

...........

 

Aint the whole point of literature not to provacate morality and then interprate it and then keep you guessing as to whats next?...

 

I guess i kinda answered your pondered Q

[Tahliil]

Caanogeel:

I am avid a reader of any and everything, and am also a reader who reads beyond the lines, meaning I am also a very judgemental reader, am one who is very sensetive about his culture and religion and likes to see it protected fro other predators(what some calls a writer's prerogative). Funny, I was watchin a sitcom the other day. A character walks into a musuem and falls in love with a paint. The paint was painted by a little boy..three years old. The little one splashes different colors on a cardboard and walks on the board with his bare feet. Then his mother, i think, presents it to the museum. The paint becomes a best sellers...a hit. every1 who comes into the musuem looks at the picture and tries extremely hard to see something which is frankly not there. The point of the creator of that sitcom was that people are influenced not by what is truly a great work but what the crowd wants and deems to b a great work.

 

My point here is that sort of collective politeness and comerciality (advertised and paid by an interest group)and i bet it is, kills what could have been a fantastic invention. And that too takes away the honest view and interpretion and judgement of some1. It also takes the place of what could have been one of the very few great works we create be either a picture, a work of literature or say a fighter jet. That is how i see some of Nuradin's works, am not sayin all but some of his latest works are just like that paint.

 

Some writers are really talented and Nuradin could b one but his motives lately became materialistic, he developed an obssession to become famous and hit the jackpot no matter what the cost is to him or to others...Through him I only see his predecessor and friend Rushdi. But who am i to judge him while I can't attempt yet the great marvels he produces? On the same token though, I do reserve the right to not read him or refer to him as one of Africa's finest writers...And I guess that is my prerogative

[Warrior of Light]

Ive had the pleasure of reading books written by african writers . writers like P'Bitek Okot,Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Chinua Achebe, Camara Laye, Francis ?(Author of betrayal in the city).Been an eye opener of the struggle against colonialism and the new independenct era.Reading them too made me appreciate the rich african cultures and beleifs . happy readings.

[Macalin]

Sade,what of Nugis Book did you read?

[Valenteenah.]

I have read some African women's academic literature, but thats about it. Maybe I'll check out some of the more popular African writers soon. Thanx for the link Lakk.

[Warrior of Light]

Originally posted by Lakkad:

Sade,what of Nugis Book did you read?

I read the river between, a grain of wheat and weep not child. My favorite though was the river between.

 

Referring to the somali author never heard of him . sorry for my ignorance are there any links where i can peruse his works?

[The Observer.]

hello there

interesting comments on the issue of nurudin up there, the only thing is, if life hits you hard sometimes, as being an artist, you gotta give in, inorder to make a living. so that might be something that a commentor up there might think about.

now then, there are quite a number of authors i came across with.

Sembene Ousmane, very good author and director, for those who are not too much in books, i would suggest to check out his movies, and for the readers, checkout 'God's Bits of Wood'. Chinua Achebe i must say he did hurt a little bit of my brain while reading 'Arrow of God'. Amos Tutuola is someone to checkout, interesting way of writing. Nardine Gordimer, not a fan, but it depends on the reader, interesting way of writing, from South Africa. another author Peter Abrahams, again from South Africa, check out 'Mine Boy'. Jamal Mahjoub and Leila Abouleil from Sudan, interesting issues dealing on migration. Jack Mapanji from Malawi, interesting poems, also Sly Cheney from Sierra Leone. am Yvonne Vera-'opening spaces: a womens contemporary anthology' something like that, it gives you a brief short writers in there from Madagascar,Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sudan,Zambia, and so forth. a good intro to african womens writing and the issues within the context of Africa, Ama Ata Aidoo, neat writer, check out 'Changes:A Love Story'. Maja Pearce with his anthology of poetry. Wole Soyinka with his plays and poetry, neat writer, some deep and revolutionic issues, straight to the core of the destabilization of the CONTINENT. Homi Bhabha, and there is so much else, when i remember i'll let you guys know.

there is so much out there, sadly i haven't had the time to finish one of Nurudiin's books, but will be in time, but from the couple of pages i was reading, i new i was gonna go into a rollercoaster and brain hurting reading. YET IT IS WORTH EVERY MINUTE!

READING IS AN EYEOPENER TO THE MIND.

[Macalin]

I read the river between, a grain of wheat and weep not child. My favorite though was the river between

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Thats a nice book...when i was in high school i read the book cry my beloved country