Sunday, May 22, 2011

The 2011 Caine Prize: How Not to Write About Africa

"The Caine Prize for African Writing has been great for African literature by showcasing some truly good works by African writers. The good news is that the Caine Prize is here to stay. The bad news is that someone is going to win the Caine Prize this year. This is a shame; having read the stories on the shortlist, I conclude that a successful African writer must be clinically depressed, chronicling in excruciating detail every open sore of Africa. Apologies to Wole Soyinka."

This is food for thought, friends. I would encourage every writer and aspiring ones to read this carefully. I have learned a lot from it.
ENJOY!

1 comment:

  1. Hi I just wanted to say thanks for your work in collecting and reposting intelligent articles on African writing. I'm very interested in the subject and find your blog a great resource. Thanks very much and please keep it up.

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