LITERARY FLASHES

By Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga As a Pan-Africanist myself, I cannot but be enamoured with the life and times of the indomitable Obi B Egbuna. For centuries, Europe dominated the African continent.  The white man arrogated to himself the right to rule and to be obeyed by the non-white; his mission, he claimed, was to “civilize” Africa.  Under this cloak, the Europeans robbed the continent of vast riches and inflicted unimaginable suffering on the African people. Kwame Nkrumah 1961:  I Speak of Freedom. E gbuna’s demise was one of the most distressing times in many memories of the people who have an explicit understanding of the past racial oppression against black people by white people.  Apparently, this sombre feeling is obviously evoked by the sadden news of the demise of “Sir Egbuna”.  The sensational Egbuna was a sagacious, sophisticated black leader and enchanting black African writer. Fundamentally, he was deeply influenced by Marxist; he wa...

Cameroonian writer Mbella Sonne Dipoko (1936 - 2009) was mainly depicted as an erotic writer of sorts; whereas the simple truth is that he was a very good novelist and poet. His novels in particular disturbed a number of critics, reviewers and readers because of the rather explicit sexual content therein. That was way back in the 60s when some felt that a "serious, committed African writer" should not dwell too much on such things. As Paul Theroux suggested then decades ago, African writers were supposed to write "about solid tribal wisdom, ghoulish rituals and the inscrutable cruelty of colonialism - not to mention the inclusion of semi-profound proverbs and the utterances of very old men with dry skin and wizened faces." Yet, even way back in the 60s (and early seventies) other distinguished African writers wrote about sex in some detail in their works; for example Ayi Kwei Armah ( especially in Fragments), Chinua Achebe (A man of the People), ...

By   BAYO ADEBOWALE D.O. Fagunwa’s creative art, from inception, has been received with warmth and enthusiasm. His early-time audience consumed the themes and contents of his works eagerly and with gusto… Whoever among them can ever forget Fagunwa’s powerful character portrait of his major characters like Esu Kekereode, Anjonnu Iberu, Olowoaye, Ojola Ibinu, Kako, Akaraoogun, Imodoye, Olohun Iyo, Aramanda Okunrin, Egbin, Ibembe Olokunrun, Ifepade, Arogidigba, Baba Onirugbon Yeuke, Ajediran, Iragbeje, Ajantala, Ogongo Baba Eye, Edidare people and Omugodimeji their Royal Father, Ireke Onibudo, itanforiti, Ologbo Ijakadi, Iyunade and Ahondiwura! Fagunwa’s early-time critics, in the same token, evaluated the style and technique of his novels with utmost regard and respect. All of Fagunwa’s novels got incisive analysis and critical acclaim from eminent scholars, of the calibre of Ayo Bamgbose, Abiola Irele, Uli Beier, Bernth Lindfors, Omolara Ogundipe-Leslie, Akinwumi I...