"EROTIC WRITER" MBELLA SONNE DIPOKO

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), and even Soyinka. Naiwu Osahon (in Sex is a Nigger) was more or less in a special class of his own.

A lot of hypocrisy has always surrounded sex, in general. Nowadays many aficionados of literature would worry about some "explicit sex" in published works; though of course even an acclaimed novelist like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been panned by some critics for "excessive sex" in her works.

 But back to the 60s when Mbella Sonne Dipoko was at his peak as a writer. Unashamedly he admitted that he personally loved sex, and enjoyed writing about it in his well-written books. In a rather famous interview (with Cameroon Life magazine) Dipoko said:

“I became, for many years what you might call a travelling lover, a dreamer searching for God between the women’s thighs – those days, when I was at the height of my intimate powers.

“You had to see me! I was like an angel stuffing recoilless erections into just where they are most needed – into the fleshy folds of winter! But I did it with rosy summers too, and each divine thrust was like stuffing your women with yet another trump card of desire! And, there was no Aids stalking through the world just to scare sensible chaps off sex…”

Major works by Mbella Sonne Dipoko

A few nights and days (1966)

Because of Women (1969)

Black and White in love (1972) 

- By Theophile Ebounge

THE TRANSFORMERS By Adeniyi Adedayo

"The Transformers turns your eyes to the past, plants your feet in the present and asks you to join hands with others to help transform Nigeria. Nigeria is taken apart and virtually put together again. Its practicality evinces that you can make a difference, by giving veritable examples of those who have done the same. It reminds us that the transformation starts from us. A must-read..."  Yakubu Damilola (Idiace) - Poet.  

"As a social actor and advocate for change in Nigeria, I often feared "We may be lost in the fight...we will never get back!" Dayo has replied through this book: "We don't have to come back, but we must go out! We must give our all until we Win".

"The Transformers is not a book to merely influence your love for Nigeria or to increase your knowledge about great achievers (although it does that). This is a tool that will practically transform your life. It is meant for those few who have decided not only to make a difference but also break decisively and angrily with a strong purpose to deliver Nigeria's future. I strongly recommend (the book) ..." – Kehinde Fawumi (Fujitsu, Germany)

About The Author (pix above) 

Adeniyi Adedayo (Dayo Nigeria) is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, and has a passion to raise men who will build a new society. Innovative, resourceful and skilled in creating result producing strategies. Confident and a good communicator adept at interacting and working with young people with the ability to motivate them to attain their potentials despite their diverse interests. He is also an Ambassador of GEMSTONE Nation Builders Network.

ASSIA DJEBAR DIES

Think about outstanding female writers from north Africa over the years. Chances are at least two female protagonists would spring to mind: the late Alifa Rifaat (from Egypt); and Assia Djebar (from Algeria), who has just died. 

Assia Djebar was recognised for decades as a western-educated Algerian feminist, intellectual and spokesperson for Algerian women. Her body of powerful writing and publications reflect this.

Djebar as a top-notch intellectual ultimately won the Neustadt International Prize for Literature; and also the Yourcenar Prize. Yet she published her significant early works at a very young age, in her very early 20's - works like La Soif (1957) and Les Impatients (1958). Other works include Les Enfants du Nouveau Monde (1962) and Vaste a la Prison (1995). Djebar's works were translated into many international languages.

She was born in Cherchell, near Algiers, in 1936. Her writings were to stamp her out
as essentially a defender of women's rights in her native Algeria. She achieved international renown as an academic, also going on to lecture at New York University.

 Literary pundits, upon hearing of her death, have been expressing admiration and appreciation of her life and work - including the upliftment of women in North Africa in general. Leke Giwa for example states: "Assia Djebar was a brilliant writer, judging from English translations of her work. It has been quite numbing for African and international literature that she and world-class (South African writer and academic) Andre Brink died around the same time at the weekend". 

Jane Hiddleston, writing about Assia Djebar, has said: “(Djebar) is "frequently associated with women's writing movements, her novels are clearly focused on the creation of a genealogy of Algerian women, and her political stance is virulently anti-patriarchal as much as it is anti-colonial,”

Suggested Reading

Islamic Culture and the question of women's human rights in North Africa: a study of short stories by Assia Djebar and Alifa Rifaat. By Naomi E. Nkealah

REMEMBERING AND CELEBRATING MBULELO MZAMANE

By O Bolaji

It was around this time a year ago that Mbulelo Mzamane, outstanding
academic, writer, intellectual et al, breathed his last. But his legacy ineluctably and necessarily lives on.

On my own part, when I think about him my mind goes to his sparkling, generous, amiable personality, the genuine camaraderie; laughs, smiles, the complement of authentic ebullience that always surrounded him. And of course the humour.

Read his works, especially the fiction and savour the thread of effulgent humour that runs through them. This is no way attenuates the sterling quality of his assorted writing; he was a man who despite being a world class academic and intellectual nevertheless had his feet firmly on the ground.

Mzamane was recognised for his brilliance in his sphere, and spent a large part of his life travelling the world and lecturing from one country to another. Yet he possessed large dollops of ubuntu which made him appear larger than life.

Although I met the man only intermittently (once in a blue moon would be more appropriate), I can not forget his generous eclectic spirit. It was almost 20 years ago when I met him in person for the first time; I was new in South Africa, and chanced to be at Fort Hare University in Alice (Eastern Cape). In those days I used to often carry around a file that contained about 100 short stories I had published during an early spell of my "writing career".

An academic at the University of Fort Hare one day briefly took me to
Mzamane's office and introduced me to him. The great man went through
my file, chuckling intermittently. "You wrote all these stories, young man? ... Yes, I can see your name on each of them..."

Presently he said: "You have done very well. I can't appraise them critically of course, as I just glanced through them. You like interesting, shall we
say, unusual titles eh?" He laughed uproariously...

I must confess that at the time I did not fully realise how much of a literary icon professor  Mzamane was - he was to add even more cubits to his awesome reputation over the years - but my initial positive impression of the man was cemented later on whenever one met him at literary events, occasions, awards, festivals and the like.

Aside from his own published works, Mzamane's generosity of spirit is shown by the way and manner he skillfully edited a large number of other manuscripts and books - for other important writers - over the years. Those interested in this aspect of his life (and work) are urged to do more research in this wise!

The late great man also respected women a great deal, and it is on record that he often paid tribute to his "wonderful wife", and added that he would want to write things like poems and essays in her honour.

I remember him once saying that "the women in my life are in no way inferior; in fact they are the opposite - my wife, my daughters, they challenge me intellectually every time. Africa does not know what it is losing whenever our women are suppressed..." A remarkable man indeed, Mbulelo Mzamane. Continue to rest in peace....

Published works of Mbulelo Mzamane

Mzala: The Short Stories of Mbulelo Mzamane (Johannesburg: Ravan Press, 1980).

My Cousin Comes to Jo'burg (Harlow: Longman, 1981).

The Children of Soweto : A Trilogy (Harlow: Longman, 1982).

The Children of the Diaspora and Other Stories of Exile (Western Cape: Vivlia Publishers, 1996).

Where there is no vision the people perish: Reflections on the African Renaissance (University of South Australia: Hawke Institute, 2001).

The Race Between the Turtles and Cheetahs (Children's Book) (Canberra, The Australian National University: The Herbert and Valmae Freilich Foundation, 2004).

Children of Paradise (UKZN Press, 2011).

Of Minks and Men and Other Stories of Our Transition and The Mbeki Turn: South Africa after Mandela (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2013).