The Columbia Guide to West African Literature in English Since 1945 / Oyekan Owomoyela.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Owomoyela, Oyekan, author.

Series:

The Columbia Guides to Literature Since 1945

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

West African literature (English)--History and criticism--20th century.

West African literature (English).

West African literature (English)--History and criticism--21st century.

Africa, West--Intellectual life.

Africa, West.

Africa, West--In literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Columbia University Press, [2008]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Composed by a premier scholar of African literature, this volume is a comprehensive guide to the literary traditions of Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria, five distinct countries bound by their experience with colonialism. Oyekan Owomoyela begins with an overview of the authors, texts, and historical events that have shaped the development of postwar Anglophone literatures in this region, exploring shifts in theme and the role of foreign sponsorship and illuminating recent debates regarding the language, identity, gender, and social commitments of various authors and their works. His introduction concludes with a bibliography of key critical texts.The second half of the volume is an alphabetical tour of writers, publications, concepts, genres, movements, and institutions, with suggested readings for further research. Entries focus primarily on fiction but also touch on drama and poetry. Featured authors include Chris Abani, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Cyprian Ekwensi, Uzodinma Chukuka Iweala, Helen Oyeyemi, and Wole Soyinka. Topics range from the European origins of African literature and the West African diaspora to the development of an "African personality," the establishment of a regional publishing industry, and the global literary marketplace. Owomoyela also discusses such influences as the postwar emergence of Onitsha Market Literature, the Mbari Club, and the importance of the Noma Award. Owomoyela's portrait points to the major impact of West African literature on the evolution of both African and world literatures in English. Sure to become the definitive text for research in the field, The Columbia Guide to West African Literature in English Since 1945 is a vital resource for newcomers as well as for advanced scholars seeking a deeper understanding of the region's rich literary heritage.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Part One. The Literary and Cultural Context of West African Literature in English

Part Two. West African Literature A-Z

Part Three. Writers and Selected Works

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780231512152

0231512155

OCLC:

861793050