"We cannot speak of taking up the challenge of a new century for African literature unless
we address the necessity to devise the means by which literature in African
languages becomes the major component of the continent's literature."
"We cannot speak of taking up the challenge of a new century for African literature unless
we address the necessity to devise the means by which literature in African
languages becomes the major component of the continent's literature."
NADIME GORDIMER (Turning the Page, 1992)
"There ought to be no separation of language and literature either in the minds of 'African' literature scholars and teachers, or in the institutions in which such research and teaching take place."
DANIEL KUNENE (African-Language Literature: Tragedy and Hope, 1992)
"I believe there is genius in every language. It does not matter how many people speak it:
the genius of a language is not dependent on the quantity of its speakers."
NGŨGĨ WA THIONG’O (Recovering the Original, 2004)
"In translation, there are no indigenous, vernacular, native, local, ethnic and tribal languages
producing vernacular, native, local, ethnic and tribal literatures, while English and French
produce world and global literature. There are only languages and literatures."
MUKOMA WA NGŨGĨ (A Revolution in Many Tongues, 2016)
"How shall we press for a new policy and structure of publishing and distribution, so that
writers may write in African languages and bring pleasure and fulfillment to thousands
who are cut off from literature by lack of knowledge of European languages?"
writers may write in African languages and bring pleasure and fulfillment to thousands
who are cut off from literature by lack of knowledge of European languages?"
NADINE GORDIMER (Turning the Page, 1992)
"It is time to make the invisible visible in order to create a more interesting – and ultimately
more creative and meaningful – free flow of ideas in the world."
