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Africa Writes Back



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TITLE: Africa Writes Back The African Writers Series and the Launch of African Literature
AUTHOR: James Currey 
EDITOR:
PUBLISHER: James Currey
CO-PUBLISHER:
SERIES:
FORMAT: Paperback (pp: 350) 228 x 152mm
ISBN-10: 1847015026
ISBN-13: 9781847015020
PUB DATE: 25 Sep 2008
AVAILABILITY: Available
PRICE: £19.99

DESCRIPTION:
17 June 2008 is the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart by Heinemann. This provided the impetus for the foundation of the African Writers Series in 1962 with Chinua Achebe as the Editorial Adviser. '...not only the story of a publishing enterprise of great significance; it is also a large part of the story of African literature and its dissemination in the latter half of the twentieth century. The manuscript is full of the drama of that enterprise, the drama of dealing with the mother house, William Heinemann, of dealing with the often intractable political constraints dominating the intellectual space across Africa, and not least of all dealing with the writers themselves - with their ambitions, their temperaments, their financial needs and, at time, their perception of a colonial relationship between themselves and a European publishing house.' - Clive Wake, Emeritus Professor of Modern Languages, University of Kent at Canterbury.BR> North America: Ohio U Press; South Africa: Wits U Press; Nigeria: HEBN; Kenya: EAEP; Zimbabwe: Weaver Press

 

REVIEW:
A fascinating read and an irreplaceable reference. RESEARCH IN AFRICAN LITERATURES (A) magnificent book...There is so much in this record of fifty years of African publishing to enjoy and be deeply informed by. There are fascinating portraits of a wide range of authors. (...) This extraordinarily intimate and informed story of one of the most enterprising and important publishing initiatives of C20th brings the processes and the personalities of African literary publishing richly to life. It is a remarkable and triumphant tale, told with wit, wisdom and dedication. LEEDS AFRICAN STUDIES BULLETIN A fascinating and highly entertaining book. Rich in anecdotal material on many of Africa's best known writers, the book offers a narrative how the now famous series came together. All libraries with African studies and African literature collection interests will want to acquire this engrossing book, as will be those with collections on book, media and publishing studies. HANS M. ZELLEvery now and then a book comes along which encapsulates and defines a moment in history (...) Such a book is Africa Writes Back. BUSINESS DAY LAGOS(A) brisk, meaty, anecdotal, clearly-shaped volume. MOVING WORLDS


AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:
James Currey was the Editorial Director at Heinemann Educational Books in charge of the African Writers Series from 1967 to 1984


CONTENTS:
A Chronology of the African Writers Series
- The Conspirators
- INTRODUCTION
- The Establishment of African Literature
- Publishing Chinua Achebe
- WRITERS FROM WEST AFRICA Nigeria
- The country where so much started
- Negritude from Senegal to Cameroun
- The Magical Mystery of Ghana, Sierra Leone & the Gambia
- WRITERS FROM EASTERN AFRICA
- Towards the Oral & the Popular in Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania
- Publishing Ngugi
- Publishing Nuruddin Farah
- Ethiopian Emperors Past & Present
- WRITERS OF RESISTANCE IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Publishing Alex la Guma, Dennis Brutus, Bessie Head & Masize Kunene
- WRITERS FROM SOUTHERN AFRICAN
- Guns & Guerrillas in Mozambique & Angola
- The Struggle to become Zimbabweans
- Publishing Dambudzo Marechera
- Zambia Shall be Free
- Death & Detention in Malawi
- ARAB AUTHORS.


SUBJECT LINK:
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Literary studies: general
 

Additional Information:
Illustrations: 60 black and white