OILING THE WHEELS OF LITERARY FECUNDITY

By O Bolaji

The history of African literature can be - is - fascinating, with the assorted warp and weft of disparate protagonists over the decades. And I am not even talking about the substantive texts or literary works themselves!     

No, I have in mind the other appurtenant material; peripheral accretions over the decades, if you like, material very important in their own way. For example the process, the evolution, the publications of our continental literature, the early fillips oiling the wheels as it were, those enhancing the growth of the writing, the catalysts, the protagonists, the critics, early publishers...  

For example, young writers, and those interested in African literature generally these days, should strive to know about the wonderful impact of publishers like Heinemann (African Writers series), Macmillan (Pacesetters series) Fontana publishing African writers, Fagbamigbe Publishers, and the ilk.         

Or, specifically in South Africa, the role played by Timbila Publishers; Mbali Press/Phoenix Press...they specifically focused on publishing African writers in genres straddling poetry, fiction, literary criticism, and even drama.

On an individual level, young writers should focus on the wonderful literary contributions of fantastic writers like the late Chinua Achebe, Es'kia Mphahlele, Obi B Egbuna, Zakes Mda, Mbulelo Mzamane, Ngugi, Kofi Awoonor, Ayi Armah, and the like.   

But it is not only as great writers that such African protagonists made their mark, they also focused on encouraging and nurturing other glittering, often younger literary talent. For example, Achebe as an established world class (African) writer did all he could to unearth and encourage Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who also, after initial publication, went on to establish himself as a world class writer. Ngugi has always acknowledged what Achebe did for him, and continues to pay pertinent tribute to him.    

In South Africa, writers like Mphahlele, Zakes Mda, and Mzamane went out of their way to encourage and develop other writers. Mzamane edited so many works of other fine African writers; and Mda in particular edited Gomolemo Mokae's The secret in my bosom.

Interestingly, Mokae himself would go on to help other younger writers, not least his cousin Sabata-Mpho Mokae, a sterling literary talent himself. This is part of the exhilaration of literature – new talents emerging, new works, literary nurturers, editors in the mix, polishing works, lubricating literature in transcendent fashion...

It is not 100 percent compulsory in all cases, but all works, all writers, benefit from deft editorial assistance. It is part of the publishing process worldwide. The best writers in the world – eg Jeffrey Archer, Ben Okri, Wole Soyinka, Zakes Mda - their books are edited by others, many parts thereof re-written, by editors. This does not detract from the authors' work, this does not mean that the editor can now claim to be the writer or author! Editing is normal part of serious publishing.      

Alas, in Africa it is a crying shame, a tragedy really, that a few ignorant, petty, or even cruel-minded people who claim to be "writers" have been known to claim that an ordinary "editor" of a work can magically be regarded as the author, and try to undermine the real author(s) of a work. Such claims are in the real literary world senseless, barbaric, cruel, and smirks of illiteracy. Africa must move ahead with the times and not allow a few misinformed, narrow-minded people to destroy burgeoning literature.