MORAA GITAA (Kenya)

By IM Soqaga

One of the amazing things about African literature is how its women show indispensable commitment in making sure that its existence remains apposite.  In this wise, Moraa Gitaa a remarkable lady from Kenya, has produced fine and imperative piece of literature which are fascinating.  Grippingly, her works are rather marvellous and they encompass prodigious artistic literature.  An award winning novelist, Gitaa’s exhilarating role in African literature is actually dazzlingly inspiring.

One can reminisce at how few bizarre individuals expressed doubts about perpetual existence of African literature especially when its own pioneers are getting old and others departing this world.  This was a near-sighted conclusion about African literary contribution in the future especially in regard with female African writing, because post-independent Africa has witnessed many sprouting vivacious African female writers whose exquisite works diffuse globally.  It should be reckoned that in the past, early female literary pioneers of African literature like Miriam Tlali, Flora Nwapa, Buchi Emecheta, Ama Ata Aidoo etc illustrated their sheer passion for literature with profound zeal. 

Like in many countries of the world especially in the West, literature produced by these catalysts of African writing cannot be shunned.  To recall they wrote during colonial encroachment, at the time when it was difficult for an African person to be recognised as a writer.  Yet their works flourished and succeeded, and today their works are enjoyed and admired by oodles number of people in the world.

Currently, there are a number of female African writers who demonstrate explicitly that the new generation of African writing are not shiftless but in contrast, are absolutely brisk.  It is splendid to read books produced by them.  In fact, Moraa Gitaa enchanting literary works are very prodigious; glaringly her literary valour provides a vivid testimony that she is phenomenal.  From the country of her origin Kenya, Africa can count outstanding writers whose works transcend the continental borders.  Africa’s revered literary giants like Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Grace Ogot, Meja Mwangi to name but few emanate from Kenya.  Therefore, it is quite noteworthy to see the writer of the calibre of Gitaa continues to hypnotize the world in this wise.

Moraa Gitaa’s spellbinding works of literature, basically involve issues that are earnestly grave and pertinent in society.  Hence she adumbrates what the early pioneer of women African literature were writing about during colonialism in Africa.  Free and independent Africa require such writers who are literary imaginative and who are able to portray African live graphically.  Among other things, her writing focused on societal ills like HIV, vulnerability, the marginalized, achievement of social justice, inclusion, equity and human dignity.  

Gitaa’s impressive contribution in African literature deserves comprehensive adulation.  Importantly, Africa in the twenty first century needs writers who will write daringly about it.  Of course, it will be absurd for Africa to anticipate someone outside Africa to write about it especially when Africa is a free and independent continent. 

One famous novel by Moraa Gitaa “Crucible for Silver and Furnace for Gold” has been described by reviewers as a re-reading and re-writing of gender in times of HIV.

Patently and significantly, Gitaa like many other female writers of Africa, such as Grace Ogot, Ama Ata Aidoo, Buchi Emecheta, Miriam Tlali, Flora Nwapa, Adichie Chimamanda, Noviolet Bulawayo, Yvonne Vera, Nnedi Okorafor, Okwiri Odour, Maaza Mengiste, Charmaine Kolwane, Jah Rose Nthabiseng, Matshidiso Taleng etc. will indelible remain sensational in advocating and expressing breathtaking African literature.  Moraa Gitaa is a member of PEN International, the world association of writers.

LITERARY WORKS:

1.) Hila – Storymoja Publishers, 2015

2.) The Shark Attack – Moran Publishers, 2014

3.) The Con Artist – Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB), 2014

4.) Shifting Sands – Nsemia Publishers, 2012

5.) Crucible for Silver & Furnace for Gold – Nsemia Publishers, 2008

AWARDS / ACHIEVEMENTS:

1.) 2017 apexart New York City (NYC) Fellow

2.) 2016 Infinity Industrial Park Essay Contest winner on ‘The Need for Modern Industrial Parks in Kenya to Boost National Productivity’

3) 2014 Burt Award for African Young Adult Literature for Young Adult novella ‘The Shark Attack’

4) 2010 – Penguin Prize for African Writing, top 5 Short-listed out of approximately 300 global entries

5) 2008 – National Book Development Council of Kenya (NBDCK) Annual Book Week Literary Awards, 1st Prize Adult Fiction winner for ’Shifting Sands’

MEMORY CHIRERE (Zimbabwe)

By I. M Soqaga

MEMORY CHIRERE,  the excellent Zimbabwean writer and essayist, is one of Africa’s renowned literary critics  and reviewers.

Although critics are very important though often undermined or even detested in Africa. We tend to believe that they are "destroying or pulling down" the hard literary work of writers. But in the western world, critics are often highly respected as they introduce and even guide us as regards certain authors or books.

William Shakespeare eg has thousands of critical work published on him, and all we need do is read some critical essays on the greatest bard to give us an insight into Shakespeare over 30 plays. We cannot really read all his books, just as virtually all of us cannot read the dozens of books published by Wole Soyinka, EskiaMphahlele, Chinua Achebe, David Mailluetc.

But critics introduce us to the work of such writers and alleviate our ignorance. Then we must also realise that some of our African writers are very difficult just to read - like Dambudzo, Soyinka and Lenrie Peters. Critics help us by trying to guide us to understand/analyse what they wrote.

A South African writer like the great mama Sindiwe Magona who has published over ten brilliant works - a critic can help us to understand her vision, themes, style etc. Hence critics are very important.

Again sometimes we might not even practically be able to see most of books published by writers eg Obi Egbuna or Flaxman Qoopane. Then we are happy to know that a book containing many essays on Qoopane has been published!! (Edited by Charmaine Kolwane) and we now realise significance of critics like Lechesa, Leke Giwa, Raphael Mokoena, TiisetsoThiba, Paul Lothane, Henry Ozogula etc.

It is in this wise that one can appreciate the vital importance of Memory Chirere in literature and in promoting literary criticism is absolutely fascinating. Memory Chirere as a prominent short story writer he is the one of the few intrepid critic in Africa in Zimbabwe.  Although many people in the world may be flimsily about freedom of expression in Zimbabwe, albeit Memory Chirere remain absolutely consummate.  The enormous splendid amount of attention he received in the world of literature makes him one of the superlative critics in the world of literature.

It will obviously be meaningless for a lecturer of literature like Chirere to be absurd and myopic about literature in general.  Hence he is exceptionally respected because of his unflinching demeanour of producing such superb critical work of literature which is appropriate in literary field.  We know for years in Africa this literary genre (Literary Criticism) has been proscribe as something surreal and propagated by impertinent writers. 

Indeed, notable writers like Jack Mapanje, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi waThiong’o, Mphahlele, and many others suffered the huge adversity under the government of their countries.  Essentially, it is too awesome to see a writer of the calibre of Memory Chirere being not palpitated in advancing quintessential literature in this outstanding fashion especially in Zimbabwe which many will hardly believe that such writing can take place.

Memory Chirere is one of the contemporary Zimbabwean writers who uses the short story genre as a mode of expression. In his first collection of short stories in English under one book, Somewhere in this Country (2006), Chirere focuses on the marginalised members of society in their day-to-day struggles for survival in post-independence Zimbabwe.  Zimbabwe’s masses leading miserable lives, years after independence which was obtained in 1980, reflects that the black leaders failed to fulfil their erstwhile promises of better days to the majority.

At the centre of each of the stories selected to be studied in this article, “Suburb”, “An Old Man”, “Maize” and “Sitting Carelessly” is the writer’s touching compassion for the underprivileged members of society such as squatters, street kids, land-hungry peasants and displaced farm workers respectively. However, in “Maize” the black government is applauded for alleviating the situation of peasants by giving them land under the recent land reform programme. Hence, notable in Chirere’s criticism of society and its institutions is his objectivity.

Select Bibliography – books by Chirere

·      
           Somewhere in This Country

·        Toriro and His Goats and Other Stories

·        Tudikidiki

·         

DILLIBE ONYEAMA (Nigeria)

In African literature, Dillibe Onyeama is an illustrious, revered name, even if a large number of younger readers might not be familiar with this brilliant writer. Onyeama, a Nigerian, was born to write! 

 He started to write and publish books at a very young age (like Ben Okri) and has published well over 20 books till date. There is some nonsense on his "most popular" works which might interest some...but serious pundits would not worry too much about this. Is "popularity" of book(s) related to a particular country or region (let's say Africa); or in eurocentric climes? Or is "popularity" gauged from modern artifice like "goodreads" which the older generation is largely unfamiliar with? And anyway an author's most popular works are often unrelated to pristine literary quality. 

 Onyeama himself as a top-notch writer has said that he considers Obi Egbuna one of the greatest ever Ibo and African writers. This is subjective of course, but one has to respect Onyeama's opinion here. Egbuna who wrote superb works too, is or should be a revered figure. Some claim that his novel, The madness of Didi, is one of the classics of African literature; others would prefer his well-written short stories' collections. Such polemics do not really matter. The brilliance of such wordsmiths is the main thing.

And the brilliance of Dillibe Onyeama was never in doubt since he was a youngster producing thrilling works. Yes, he was (is) an outstanding writer and his name and reputation should always be written in gold. Works of his like Revenge of the Medicine Man, and Juju can always be relished across the generations.

He has displayed very impressive range, depth and breadth over the decades. Apart from the exciting, scintillating fiction, Onyeama has published biographies and autobiography. He has written on general subjects, including humour and introspective work.

Now in his 60s Onyeama can be very satisfied and proud of himself for his contributions to African literature - and he started many decades ago! He has also been a publisher, and despite daunting odds these days in respect of books and reading, this suave cerebral gentleman can afford a wry smile, considering his status and pedigree in the world of letters

Select bibliography

Nigger at Eton

Sex is a Nigger’s game

John Bull’s Nigger

The Return,

Juju (novel)

 Secret Society,

The return

Boomerang (short stories),

Godfathers of Voodoo,

Female Target

The New Man

Revenge of the Medicine Man

Book of Black Man’s Humour;

RICHARD RIVE (South Africa)

By I M Soqaga

South African literature has a lush and remarkable numbers of writers who are actually fascinating and they continue to grow by leaps and bounds.  It is absolutely noteworthy to see literature in South Africa in particular in the post apartheid, being celebrated with utmost glee.  Richard Rive is one of the illustrious names from the 60s and 70s in particular.

Imperatively, apartheid presented a serious morass that deserved to be abrogated.  In fact its application was abysmal and thoroughly lacked sanity for human dignity and progress.  In the past because of apartheid South African writers, ineluctable had to expect unpleasant treatment because of their zealous literary forte which they used to showed with profound agility.  However, today the situation is congenially different because writers can write without being countered.  Today, South African writers are relishing their works with absolute glee.  And moreover there are colourful literary festivals throughout the country which are stupendously held with the intention to showcases disparate literary genre and the ambience is lucidly resplendent.

To highlight there are past events that remain and will of course remembered as unpalatable grotesque as a result of apartheid.  Many pre-eminent writers suffered a lot under apartheid; writers like Nat Nakasa and Lewis Nkosi were awarded Nieman Fellowship to study abroad.  They were refused passport and were forced to leave South Africa on an exit permit.  As a result they lost their South African citizenship.  Nat Nakasa died in exile after a fall from the seventh floor of a building in New York and the Afrikaner poet Ingrid Jonker, commits suicide by drowning in Cape Town.

What about Dennis Brutus, Es’kia Mphahlele, Bessie Head, Doris Lessing, Nadine Gordimer and Richard Rive? Dolefully, these writers in their lifetimes were faced with a serious predicament during apartheid times and their sole nefarious transgression was to partake in writing.  Literature that they produced was completely banned by apartheid government and their literary flair was flagrantly commended and appraise outside South Africa.  Dennis Brutus’ work, his first collection, Sirens, Knuckles and Boots won an Mbari Prize (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) and notable the collection was also published in Nigeria while he was in prison (Robben Island).

On his own part, Richard Rive’s first novel “Emergence” which takes the events leading to the Sharpeville massacre is actually a tour de force.  A protest against apartheid, Emergency was written about the Sharpeville crisis and was quickly banned by the South African government.

The role that Richard Rive played in literature was categorically mind-blowing. Inasmuch, from his early life Richard Rive cultivated multitudinous number of exhilarating works of literature.  His enormous efforts in producing such dazzling ilk of literature stamped him out as one of the few courageous wordsmiths in the face of fierce racial discrimination under apartheid.   

Indeed, Rive was a very well gifted, versed and prodigious writer whose erudition which was coupled with excellent prowess to produce such hunky-dory work of literature will be invariable recollected in the world of letters.   Rive enchanting literary works will be reminisce with South African magazines such as Drum and Fighting Talk including  European and American magazines.  Alas, his untimely death robbed South Africa and the world an exceptional, brilliant and versatile writer.

Nevertheless, it is utterly essential for modern African writers to regard Richard Rive death as a signal of inspiration.  He died as an unremitting literary activist whose interest was to see literature being palatable and lawful.  Specifically the responsibility is on writer’s shoulders to ensure that Rive works lives on indefinitely.  An open secret is that the West is not ignorant about the contribution and the impact which their writers have made over the years in advancing literature.  For centuries, the West have been showing alacrity and patriotic verve by making sure that their writers are greatly celebrated with incredible delectation by writing essays, reviews, critical works etc on them as the cue for appreciation. Bronte Sisters, Charles Dickens and so on are such prominent examples of writers that are still recognized as outstanding in the West. 

Tragically, Richard Rive was viciously killed by being stabbed to death at his home in Cape Town in 1989; of course his life of writing depicted him as an earnest writer who was extraordinary committed in propagating literature.  Inevitably, Rive vivacious contribution in literature cannot be ignore but it must somewhat be celebrated, appreciated and relished with stupendous enthusiasm.