Literatures in African Languages
Theoretical Issues and Sample Surveys

An introduction and a body of reference material which includes extensive bibliographies and biographical information on African authors.

B. W. Andrzejewski (Edited by), S. Pilaszewicz (Edited by), W. Tyloch (Edited by)

9780521126250, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 14 January 2010

676 pages
21.6 x 14 x 3.8 cm, 0.85 kg

Although African literatures in English and French are widely known outside Africa, those in the African languages themselves have not received comparable attention. In this book a number have been selected for survey by fourteen specialist writers, providing the reader with an introduction to this very wide field and a body of reference material which includes extensive bibliographies and biographical information on African authors. Theoretical issues such as genre divisions are discussed in the essays and the historical, social and political forces at work in the creation and reception of African literature are examined. Literature is treated as an art whose medium is language, so that both the oral and written forms are encompassed. This book will be of value not only to readers concerned with the cultures of Africa but to all those with an interest in the literary phenomena of the world in general.

Preface
Editors' introduction
1. Oral litertaure B. W. Andrzejewski
2. The rise of written literatures in African languages Stanislaw Pilaszewicz
3. Literature in Fula D. W. Arnott
4. Literatures in the Mande and neighbouring languages Gordon Innes
5. Akan folk literature and the beginnings of writing in Twi Nina Pawlak
6. Yoruba literature Adeboye Babalola
7. Literature in the Hausa language Stanislaw Pilaszewicz
8. Writing and literature in classical Ethiopic Aleksander Ferenc
9. Ethiopian literature in Amharic Joanna Mantel-Niecko
10. Somali litertaure B. W. Andrzejewski
11. Literaures in Cushtic languages other than Somali B. W. Andrzejewski
12. Malagasy literature in Madagaskar Zefaniasy Bmananjara and Suzy-Andree Ramamonjisoa
13. Literature in Swahili Rajmund Ohly
14. Zulu oral tradition and literature Harold Schueb
15. Mbosa oral and literary traditions Harold Schueb
16. Southern Sotho literature Josh R. Masiea
17. Tswana literature Josh R. Masiea
18. The oral literature of the San and related peoples Roger Hewitt.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]