AFRO ASIAN LITERATURE

JANUARY 11, 2014 PEACHALYKGROUPOF3 LEAVE A COMMENT

Afro-Asian Literature mirrors not only the customs and traditions of African and Asian countries
but also their philosophy of life which on the whole are deeply and predominantly contemplative
and hauntingly sweet. Afro-Asian Literature is the reflection of the storm and the stress of
developing nations seeking a place under the sun which every student must understand so he
may know how this literature affects the history and culture of a nation.
          In a simpler thought, Afro-asian literature refers to the literary output of the various
countries and cultures in Africa and Asia. This includes their oral traditions and from the first to
the contemporary written and/or published prose and poetry.
Asian Literature alone is diverse and vibrant. Add to that the splendor of African Literature, and
you get enriching Afro Asian Literature.
There are some of  reading list:
Two Brothers
 
This story is about the two brothers, Anpu and Bata, who faced many challenges because of
Anpu’s wife. The trust of Anpu to his brother is tested. Will he believe his wife? or his brother?

to read the whole story visit:

http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/anpu_and_bata.htm
Ramayana
This story is about Rama who is the eldest son of king Dasaratha but because the king promised
two wishes to his second wife which is not the mother of Rama, Rama is kicked out in their
kingdom and the throne is given to Bharata, the son of king Dasartha’s second wife.
Know more about ramayana. Visit:
http://www.kerals.com/ramayanam/
Shakuntala
This story is about Shakuntala who met Dushyanta. They met in a forest and fall inlove and as a
sign of love Dushyanta give Shakuntala a wedding ring but because Dushyanta is a king, he has
to go back to his kingdom but he promised he will come back for Shakuntala. One day, sage
Durwasa came to Shakuntala’s door and repeatedly asked for water but because Shakuntala was
lost in thoughts of Dushyanta she paid no attention. The sage got angry and cursed Shakuntala
that whoever who is in her mind will forget her
Want to read the continuation of the story? Visit:
http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fairytales/indian_mythology_stories/shakuntala.htm

https://peachalykgroupof3.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/afro-asian-literature/#:~:text=In%20a
%20simpler%20thought%2C%20Afro,alone%20is%20diverse%20and%20vibrant.

https://peachalykgroupof3.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/afro-asian-culture-2/
- Vieo afro Asian culture

AFRO ASIA
JANUARY 11, 2014 PEACHALYKGROUPOF3 LEAVE A COMMENT

Afro-Asian, refers to a person of

mixed Black and Asian (specifically East or Southeast Asian)
ancestry. The term also can refer to modern descendants of
aboriginal, mostly uncontacted, Asian ethnic groups with
direct genetic ties to ancient first-wave migrants coming out
of continental Africa. Historically, Afro-Asian populations
have been marginalized as a result of human migration and
social conflict. Much has not changed for many within the
global, present-day, Afro-Asian population.

Afro Asia opens with analyses of historical connections

between people of African and of Asian descent. An account
of nineteenth-century Chinese laborers who fought against
slavery and colonialism in Cuba appears alongside an
exploration of African Americans’ reactions to and
experiences of the Korean “conflict.” Contributors examine the fertile period of Afro-Asian
exchange that began around the time of the 1955 Bandung Conference, the first meeting of
leaders from Asian and African nations in the postcolonial era. One assesses the relationship of
two important 1960s Asian American activists to Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. Mao Ze
Dong’s 1963 and 1968 statements in support of black liberation are juxtaposed with an overview
of the influence of Maoism on African American leftists.
http://prezi.com/yaeikztkcqj6/culture-and-tradition-in-afro-asian-poetry/
 The Top 10 Contemporary
African Writers You Should
Know
Sam Peet © Culture Trip

Anahit Behrooz
17 April 2018

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In a continent as ethnically and culturally diverse as Africa, it

comes as no surprise that the literature that has emerged from it
be equally diverse and multifaceted. Dealing with a range of
social and cultural issues, from women’s rights and feminism to
post-war and post-colonial identity, here are some of Africa’s best
contemporary writers.
Chinua Achebe
One of the world’s most widely recognized and praised writers, Chinua
Achebe wrote some of the most extraordinary works of the 20th century. His
most famous novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), is a devastating depiction of the
clash between traditional tribal values and the effects of colonial rule, as well
as the tension between masculinity and femininity in highly patriarchal
societies. Achebe is also a noted literary critic, particularly known for his
passionate critique of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899), in which he
accuses the popular novel of rampant racism through its othering of the
African continent and its people.

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe Image Courtesy of Penguin Modern Classics

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Born in Nigeria in 1977, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is part of a new
generation of African writers taking the literary world by storm. Adichie’s works
are primarily character-driven, interweaving the background of her native
Nigeria and social and political events into the narrative. Her novel Purple
Hibiscus (2003) is a bildungsroman, depicting the life experience of Kambili
and her family during a military coup, while her latest work Americanah (2013)
is an insightful portrayal of Nigerian immigrant life and race relations in
America and the western world. Adichie’s works have been met with
overwhelming praise and have been nominated for and won numerous
awards, including the Orange Prize and Booker Prize.

Ayi Kwei Armah

Ayi Kwei Armah’s novels are known for their intense, powerful depictions of
political devastation and social frustration in Armah’s native Ghana, told from
the point of view of the individual. His works were greatly influenced by French
existential philosophers, such as Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, and as
such hold themes of despair, disillusionment and irrationality. His most
famous work, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1968) centers around an
unnamed protagonist who attempts to understand his self and his country in
the wake of post-independence.

The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born Image Courtesy of Heinemann

Mariama Bâ
One of Africa’s most influential women authors, Mariama Bâ is known for her
powerful feminist texts, which address the issues of gender inequality in her
native Senegal and wider Africa. Bâ herself experienced many of the
prejudices facing women: she struggled for an education against her
traditional grandparents, and was left to look after her nine children after
divorcing a prominent politician. Her anger and frustration at the patriarchal
structures which defined her life spill over into her literature: her novel So
Long A Letter (1981) depicts, simultaneously, its protagonist’s strength and
powerlessness within marriage and wider society.

Nuruddin Farah
Born in Somalia in 1945, Nuruddin Farah has written numerous plays, novels
and short stories, all of which revolve around his experiences of his native
country. The title of his first novel From a Crooked Rib (1970) stems from a
Somalian proverb “God created woman from a crooked rib, and anyone who
trieth to straighten it, breaketh it”, and is a commentary on the sufferings of
women in Somalian society through the narrative of a young woman trapped
in an unhappy marriage. His subsequent works feature similar social criticism,
dealing with themes of war and post-colonial identity.
Aminatta Forna
Born in Glasgow but raised in Sierra Leone, Aminatta Forna first drew
attention for her memoir The Devil That Danced on Water (2003), an
extraordinarily brave account of her family’s experiences living in war-torn
Sierra Leone, and in particular her father’s tragic fate as a political dissident.
Forna has gone on to write several novels, each of them critically acclaimed:
her work The Memory of Love (2010) juxtaposes personal stories of love and
loss within the wider context of the devastation of the Sierre Leone civil war,
and was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction.

The Memory of Love, Aminatta Forna Image Courtesy of Grove Press

Nadine Gordimer
One of the apartheid era’s most prolific writers, Nadine Gordimer’s works
powerfully explore social, moral, and racial issues in a South Africa under
apartheid rule. Despite winning a Nobel Prize in Literature for her prodigious
skills in portraying a society interwoven with racial tensions, Gordimer’s most
famous and controversial works were banned from South Africa for daring to
speak out against the oppressive governmental structures of the time. Her
novel Burger’s Daughter follows the struggles of a group of anti-apartheid
activists, and was read in secret by Nelson Mandela during his time on
Robben Island.

Burger's Daughter Image Courtesy of Penguin Books

Alain Mabanckou
Originating from the Republic of Congo, Alain Mabanckou’s works are written
primarily in French, and are well known for their biting wit, sharp satire and
insightful social commentary into both Africa and African immigrants in
France. His novels are strikingly character-focused, often featuring ensemble
casts of figures, such as his book Broken Glass, which focuses on a former
Congolese teacher and his interactions with the locals in the bar he frequents,
or his novel Black Bazar, which details the experiences of various African
immigrants in an Afro-Cuban bar in Paris.

Alain Mabanckou ©ActuaLitté/Flickr

Ben Okri
Ben Okri’s childhood was divided between England and time in his native
Nigeria. His young experience greatly informed his future writing: his first,
highly acclaimed novels Flowers and Shadows (1980) and The Landscapes
Within (1981) were reflections on the devastation of the Nigerian civil war
which Okri himself observed firsthand. His later novels met with equal
praise: The Famished Road (1991), which tells the story of Azaro, a spirit
child, is a fascinating blend of realism and depictions of the spirit world, and
won the Booker Prize.

Infinite Riches Image Courtesy of Vintage Publishing House

Ngugi wa Thiong’o
Ngugi wa Thiong’o is one of Africa’s most important and influential
postcolonial writers. He began his writing career with novels written in English,
which nevertheless revolved around postcolonial themes of the individual and
the community in Africa versus colonial powers and cultures. Wa Thiong’o
was imprisoned without trial for over a year by the government for the staging
of a politically controversial play; after his release, he committed to writing
works only in his native Gikuyi and Swahili, citing language as a key tool for
decolonizing the mindset and culture of African readers and writers.

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/articles/the-top-10-contemporary-african-writers-you-should-know/
Chinua Achebe: The Father
of African Literature

Chinua Achebe ©Cliff

2013 saw the sad loss of one of Africa’s most prominent authors
and respected scholars: after a short illness, Chinua Achebe died
at the age of 82 in Boston, USA. His death saw an outpouring of
tributes from those in the arts and politics, including Nelson
Mandela, Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka and hip-hop artist and
actor Tariq Trotter.
Chinua Achebe, 2008 | © Stuart C. Shapiro / Wikimedia Commons
Born on the 16th of November 1930 in the Igbo town of Ogidi, Nigeria, Achebe
was widely known for his novels, essays and poems. Heavily influenced
by Igbo traditions, these works drew on folk tales and proverbs, and
questioned Western ideas of Africa. Achebe’s most widely read book, his
debut novel Things Fall Apart, was first published in 1958 and explores the
clash between traditional African culture and colonialism in a fictional Nigerian
village during the 1890’s. The novel is rightly held as a modern African
masterpiece, while at the time causing controversy for being written in the
English language. Achebe reasoned that the use was a powerful tool in the
fight to regain ‘what is yours’; English being the language of colonisation.
© Penguin Classics

© Penguin
Things Fall Apart was followed by a sequel, No Longer at Ease (1960), which
follows the character of Obi Okonkwo, the grandson of the protagonist in his
first book. Okonkwo leaves his Nigerian village for an education in Britain, but
soon struggles with the Western lifestyle and pressures of his family’s
expectations.

Arrow of God is Achebe’s third novel in what is often considered as The

African trilogy. Published in 1964, it takes its title from an Igbo proverb and
was influenced by real events. The novel is set during the 1920’s and centres
on the chief priest of an Igbo village who proudly refuses to follow the new
colonial rule, leading to his imprisonment and loss of the village’s traditions.
Achebe also widely published a number of essays, poems and children’s
books, with a number of the essays collected together as The Education of a
British-Protected Child. While many of these works were critically acclaimed,
his 1975 essay An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of
Darkness was less so. Reading his essay during a lecture, Achebe presented
Conrad as a racist and claimed that the novel dehumanised Africans. It was a
lecture that split academics, with many walking out and expressing their anger
at his attack on a Western literature giant, while others applauded him for this
eye-opening perspective.

© Canongate Books Ltd

© Everyman Library
During his lifetime Achebe was the recipient of a number of awards, including
the Commonwealth Poetry Award in 1974, the Man Booker International
Prize in 2007 and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize in 2010. Though often
regarded as an obvious nominee for the Nobel Prize, Achebe never received
the honour, with some believing that his attack on Conrad was the ruling
factor for this lack of recognition.

After a car crash in 1990, Achebe was left paralysed, and though limited to a
wheelchair, he still managed to continue within academia. Achebe was the
Charles P Stevenson Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College
in New York before taking up the position of the David and Marianne Fisher
University Professor of Africana Studies in 2009, a role he held until his
passing on the evening of Thursday the 21st March 2013.

Achebe leaves behind him a powerful legacy; a literary titan, who was at the
forefront of African literature throughout his career and who was the author of
the most widely read African novel in the 20th century. He was a man trying to
define his identity as an Igbo writer, and a man who managed to teach
Western Literature that there was so much more to Africa than what many
believed.

By Kate Kelsall
https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/ar ticles/chinua-achebe-the-father-of-african-literature/