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			'''African literature''' generally refers to the ], ], and ] written by ] writers during the 20th century. Most of this output belongs to the broader class of ]. The term "African literature" may also include the oral literary traditions of precolonial Africa.
	'''African literature''' has often been written in English, though many African writers, such as ], now have reverted to writing in their native language, such as ]. Others, like ] continue to write in English, a major work of his being ]. Achebe has also written poetry including the poem ].

			==Precolonial African literature==

			Because literacy did not become widespread in Africa until the arrival of Christian missionaries in the ], much of the precolonial African literary canon is oral. Oral literature (or ]), including songs, poems, and folk tales, was used to entertain children and to pass on histories through the generations . Storytellers in Africa sometimes used call-and-response techniques to tell their stories, while praise singers called "]" would tell their stories with music. African orature also includes ] and ].

			One popular form of traditional African folktale is the "trickster" story, where a small animal uses its wits to survive encounters with larger creatures. Examples of animal tricksters include ], a ] in the folklore of the ] people of ]; ], a ] in ] folklore of ]; and ], a ] found in central and East African folklore.

			==Colonial African literature==

			The African works best known in the West from the period of colonization and the slave trade are primarily slave narratives, such as '']'' and '']'' (]).

			In the colonial period, Africans exposed to Western languages began to write in those tongues. In ], ] (also known as Ekra-Agiman) of the ] (now ]) published what is probably the first African novel written in English, '']'' . Although the work moves between fiction and political advocacy, its publication and positive reviews in the Western press mark a watershed moment in African literature.

			During this period, African ] began to emerge. ] of ] published the first English-language African play , '']'' in ]. In ], ] of ] wrote the first East African drama, '']'', a cautionary tale about "]" (] between African tribes).

			African literature in the late colonial period (between the end of ] and independence) increasingly showed themes of ], independence, and (among Africans in French-controlled territories) ]. One of the leaders of the négritude movement, the poet and eventual President of ] ], published the first anthology of French-language poetry written by Africans in ], ''Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française'' (''Anthology of the New Black and Malagasy Poetry in the French Language''), featuring a preface by the French ] writer ].

			==Postcolonial African literature==

			With liberation and increased literacy since most African nations gained their independence in the ] and ], African literature has grown dramatically in quantity and in recognition, with numerous African works appearing in Western academic curricula and on "best of" lists compiled at the end of the ]. African writers in this period wrote both in Western languages (notably ], ], and ]) and in traditional African languages. Literary themes in this period include the clash between traditional and Western cultures, social problems such as corruption, the economic disparities in newly independent countries, and the rights and roles of women. Female writers are much more common today in African literature than they were prior to independence.

			In ], Woye Solinka became the first African writer to win the ] in literature.

			==Major African novels==

			* ], '']'' (])
			* ], '']'' (])
			* ], '']'' (])
			* ], '']'' (Kenya)
			* ], '']'' (Nigeria)
			* ], ''] (So Long a Letter)'' (Senegal)
			* ], '']'' (Senegal)
			* ], ''] (A Sleepwalking Land)'' (])

			==Major African poets==

			* ] (])
			* ] (Nigeria)
			* ] (Nigeria)
			* ] (])
			* ] (])
			* ] (South Africa)

			==See also==

	* ]		* ]

			==External links==
			*
			*

	{{mea-stub}}		{{mea-stub}}

Revision as of 22:07, 16 November 2005

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African literature generally refers to the novels, short stories, and poetry written by African writers during the 20th century. Most of this output belongs to the broader class of postcolonial literature. The term "African literature" may also include the oral literary traditions of precolonial Africa.

Precolonial African literature

Because literacy did not become widespread in Africa until the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 1800s, much of the precolonial African literary canon is oral. Oral literature (or orature), including songs, poems, and folk tales, was used to entertain children and to pass on histories through the generations . Storytellers in Africa sometimes used call-and-response techniques to tell their stories, while praise singers called "griots" would tell their stories with music. African orature also includes myths and legends.

One popular form of traditional African folktale is the "trickster" story, where a small animal uses its wits to survive encounters with larger creatures. Examples of animal tricksters include Anansi, a spider in the folklore of the Ashanti people of Ghana; Àjàpá, a tortoise in Yoruba folklore of Nigeria; and Sungura, a hare found in central and East African folklore.

Colonial African literature

The African works best known in the West from the period of colonization and the slave trade are primarily slave narratives, such as The Interesting Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Olaudah Equiano and Gustavus Vassa, the African (1789).

In the colonial period, Africans exposed to Western languages began to write in those tongues. In 1911, Joseph Ephraim Casely-Hayford (also known as Ekra-Agiman) of the Gold Coast (now Ghana) published what is probably the first African novel written in English, Ethiopia Unbound: Studies in Race Emancipation . Although the work moves between fiction and political advocacy, its publication and positive reviews in the Western press mark a watershed moment in African literature.

During this period, African plays began to emerge. Herbert Isaac Ernest Dhlomo of South Africa published the first English-language African play , The Girl Who Killed to Save: Nongquase the Liberator in 1935. In 1962, Ngugi wa Thiong'o of Kenya wrote the first East African drama, The Black Hermit, a cautionary tale about "tribalism" (racism between African tribes).

African literature in the late colonial period (between the end of World War I and independence) increasingly showed themes of liberation, independence, and (among Africans in French-controlled territories) négritude. One of the leaders of the négritude movement, the poet and eventual President of Senegal Léopold Sédar Senghor, published the first anthology of French-language poetry written by Africans in 1948, Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française (Anthology of the New Black and Malagasy Poetry in the French Language), featuring a preface by the French existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre.

Postcolonial African literature

With liberation and increased literacy since most African nations gained their independence in the 1950s and 1960s, African literature has grown dramatically in quantity and in recognition, with numerous African works appearing in Western academic curricula and on "best of" lists compiled at the end of the 20th century. African writers in this period wrote both in Western languages (notably English, French, and Portuguese) and in traditional African languages. Literary themes in this period include the clash between traditional and Western cultures, social problems such as corruption, the economic disparities in newly independent countries, and the rights and roles of women. Female writers are much more common today in African literature than they were prior to independence.

In 1986, Woye Solinka became the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature.