Wednesday 19th March 2025
African Literature
Welcome. To my shame I don’t think I’ve ever got an African literature right. More practice required. Enjoy.
QUESTIONS
"Weep Not, Child" by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was the first English-language novel by an East African to be published. It deals with what conflict of 1952 and 1960?
Which Nigerian author, who became the first African Nobel laureate in literature, is known for his work The Interpreters and his outspoken views on politics in Africa? One of his notable works, A Dance of the Forests, critiques the conflict between traditional values and modernity.
Which 1948 novel by Alan Paton follows the journey of a priest from rural South Africa as he travels to Johannesburg to find his son? It became one of the most widely read and discussed novels in the history of South African literature.
Which Nigerian author, born in 1977, is known for her powerful works on identity, feminism, and Nigerian politics? Her 2006 novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the Orange Prize for Fiction.
Which Nigerian author won the Booker Prize in 1991 for his novel The Famished Road, which blends magic realism with political themes? He was born in 1959 in Lagos and has been a prominent voice in contemporary African literature
Which 1958 novel by Chinua Achebe depicts the life of Okonkwo, a warrior in a village in Nigeria, and his struggle against the arrival of European colonizers? The Guardian has called this work "one of the great novels about the colonial era"
Which 1979 novel by V.S. Naipaul explores the effects of political upheaval in post-colonial Africa through the story of an Indian merchant named Salim? In the novel, Salim reflects, "The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it."
Which author, known for her captivating writing and compelling characters, is behind the Legacy of Orïsha series, beginning with Children of Blood and Bone? She was inspired by Nigerian mythology and the political climate in her home country.
Which novel by Chinua Achebe delves into the lives of three protagonists who are caught in a web of politics, personal ambition, and the brutal realities of power? The title symbolises the small, yet powerful, structures that are often overlooked but have significant influence.
Which Tanzanian author wrote the acclaimed novel Dying in the Sun, a seminal work in East African literature that explores themes of existentialism and post-colonial identity? He was born in 1939 and later became Tanzania’s ambassador to France.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
"Weep Not, Child" by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was the first English-language novel by an East African to be published. It deals with what conflict of 1952 and 1960?
MAU MAU Rebellion
Which Nigerian author, who became the first African Nobel laureate in literature, is known for his work The Interpreters and his outspoken views on politics in Africa? One of his notable works, A Dance of the Forests, critiques the conflict between traditional values and modernity.
Wole SOYINKA
Which 1948 novel by Alan Paton follows the journey of a priest from rural South Africa as he travels to Johannesburg to find his son? It became one of the most widely read and discussed novels in the history of South African literature.
CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY
Which Nigerian author, born in 1977, is known for her powerful works on identity, feminism, and Nigerian politics? Her 2006 novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the Orange Prize for Fiction.
Chimamanda Ngozi ADICHIE
Which Nigerian author won the Booker Prize in 1991 for his novel The Famished Road, which blends magic realism with political themes? He was born in 1959 in Lagos and has been a prominent voice in contemporary African literature
Ben OKRI
Which 1958 novel by Chinua Achebe depicts the life of Okonkwo, a warrior in a village in Nigeria, and his struggle against the arrival of European colonizers? The Guardian has called this work "one of the great novels about the colonial era"
THINGS FALL APART
Which 1979 novel by V.S. Naipaul explores the effects of political upheaval in post-colonial Africa through the story of an Indian merchant named Salim? In the novel, Salim reflects, "The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it."
A BEND IN THE RIVER
Which author, known for her captivating writing and compelling characters, is behind the Legacy of Orïsha series, beginning with Children of Blood and Bone? She was inspired by Nigerian mythology and the political climate in her home country.
Tomi ADEYEMI
Which novel by Chinua Achebe delves into the lives of three protagonists who are caught in a web of politics, personal ambition, and the brutal realities of power? The title symbolises the small, yet powerful, structures that are often overlooked but have significant influence.
ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH
Which Tanzanian author wrote the acclaimed novel Dying in the Sun, a seminal work in East African literature that explores themes of existentialism and post-colonial identity? He was born in 1939 and later became Tanzania’s ambassador to France.
Peter K. PALANGYO
Finally, a few mentions for the books here in this video: