ALT 26 War in African Literature Today (African Literature Today, 26)

How have African writers addressed the issue of war and its impact across the continent? Since the second half of the twentieth century, no single phenomenon has marred the image and development of Africa more than senseless fratricidal wars which rapidly followed the political independence of nations. This issue ofAfrican Literature Today is devoted to studies of how African writers, as historical witnesses, have handled the recreation of war as a cataclysmic phenomenon in various locations on the continent. The contributors explore the subject from a variety of perspectives: panoramic, regional, national and through comparative studies. War has enriched contemporary African literature, but at what price to human lives, peace and the environment? ERNESTEMENYONU is Professor of the Department of Africana Studies University of Michigan-Flint. The contributors include: CHIMALUM NWANKWO, CHRISTINE MATZKE, CLEMENT A. OKAFOR, INIBONG I. UKO, OIKE MACHIKO, SOPHIE OGWUDE, MAURICE TAONEZVI VAMBE, ZOE NORRIDGE and ISIDORE DIALA. Nigeria: HEBN CONTENTS NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL ARTICLE: War in African Literature: Literary Harvests, Human Tragedies ARTICLES The Muted Index of War in African Literature & Society ‘Life in the Camp of the Enemy’ Alemseged Tesfai’s Theatre of War Sacrifice & the Contestation of Identity in Chukwuemeka Ike’s Sunset at Dawn Of War & Madness: A Symbolic Transmutation of the Nigeria–Biafra War in Select Stories from The Insider: Stories of War & Peace from Nigeria Becoming a Feminist Writer: Representations of the Subaltern in Buchi Emecheta’s Destination Biafra Politics & Human Rights in Non-Fiction Prison Literature Problems of Representing the Zimbabwean War of Liberation in Mutasa’s The Contact, Samupindi’s Pawns & Vera’s The Stone Virgins The Need to Go Further? Dedication & Distance in the War Narratives of Alexandra Fuller & Alexander Kanengoni History, Memoir & a Soldier’s Conscience Philip Efiong’s Nigeria & Biafra: My Story Of the Versification of Pain: Nigerian Civil War Poetry REVIEWS Aniceti Kitereza, Mr. Myombekere & his Wife Bugonoka, their Son Ntulanalwo & Daughter Buliwhali: The Story of an Ancient African Community. Translated by Gabriel Ruhumbika Ahmadou Kourouma, Waiting for the Wild Beasts to Vote, Translated from the French by Frank Wynne Daniel Mengara, Mema Shimmer Chinodya, Chairman of Fools Chris Abani, Graceland Uzodinma Iweala, Beasts of No Nation Woeli A. Dekutsey & John Sackey (eds), An Anthology of Contemporary Ghanaian Poems Tayo Olafioye, A Stroke of Hope Lola Shoneyin, So All the Time I Was Sitting on an Egg Es’kia Mphahlele, Down Second Avenue Véronique Tadjo, The Shadow of Imana: Travels in the Heart of Rwanda. Translated from French by Véronique Wakerley. Phanuel Akubueze Egejuru, Chinua Achebe: Pure and Simple, An Oral Biography Pietro Deandrea, Fertile Crossings: Metamorphoses of Genre in Anglophone West African Literature Alain Ricard, The Languages & Literatures of Africa Ola Rotimi, ed. Issues in African Theatre Flora Veit-Wild & Dirk Naguschewski (eds) Body, Sexuality, and Gender: Versions and Subversions in African Literatures 1, Matatu 29-30 Short Notices from the Editor of the Reviews Section INDEX War in African literature: literary harvests, human tragedies / Ernest N. Emenyonu. - The muted index of war in African literature & society / Chimalum Nwankwo. - 'Life in the camp of the enemy': Alemseged Tesfai's theatre of war / Christine Matzke. - Sacrifice & contestation of identity in Chukwuemeka Ike's Sunset at Dawn / Clement A. Okafor. - Of war & madness: a symbolic transmutation of the Nigeria-Biafra war in select stories in The Insider: Stories of War & Peace from Nigeria / Iniobong I. Uko. - Becoming a feminist writer: representation of the subaltern in Buchi Emecheta's Destination Biafra / Oike Machiko. - Politics & human rights in non-fiction prison literature / Sophie Obiajulu Ogwude. - Problems of representing the Zimbabwean war of liberation in Mutasa's The Contract, Samupindi's Pawns & Vera's The Stone Virgins / Maurice Taonezvi Vambe. - The need to go further? Dedication & distance in the war narratives of Alexandra Fuller & Alexander Kanengoni / Zoe Norridge. - History, memoir & a soldier's conscience: Philip Efiong's Nigeria & Biafra: My Story / Isidore Diala. - Of the versification of pain: Nigerian Civil War poetry / Ogaga Okuyade This issue of African Literature Today is devoted to studies of how African writers, as historical witnesses, have handled the recreation of war as a cataclysmic phenomenon in various locations on the continent. The theoretical question is whether the fictionalized representation demonstrated equitable balance between socio-political messages (lessons of war) and the sanctity of art (aesthetics). Contributors have explore the subject from a variety of perspectives -- panoramic, regional, national and through comparative studies. Was has enriched contemporary African literature but at what price to human lives, peace and the environment? -- Publisher's description