Well said, Cheng. This goes for writing contests as well; as long as we rely on the contests of Europe alone, we are not going to have an influence on what gets highlighted and promoted in the contests. Much of African talent will not be tapped into, and only people with resources, often outside of Africa, will benefit from Western contests.

Great strategy Mllovric; sometimes we have to hear the characters.

I know: so much happening in literary circles sometimes it's hard to stay caught up.

Hi memole ,

Thanks for stopping by.

In fact, I think that all of them could be silly questions, so are so many questions about a lot of things, but I like the one you chose, and how you said it is a very serious one.

However, can you explain what you mean when you say "the writers are crap", just for discussion's sake, because these are the kinds of views I am looking, for they form the root of possible reader-responses to African writers. "the writers are crap": explain.

Regarding Achebe, you are right, he has often been claimed as part of British literature, with his Okonkwo tragedy imitating Greek Tragedy. After all, the title is from the Irish-English writers W.E.B. Yeats, and Achebe writes his book in Standard Academic English, unlike Tutuola, who had written in some kind of broken English which Faber praised as just suitable, but some African readers have regarded Tutuola's book as an embarrassment, etc.

"the authors are crap": explain again.

So you wouldn't consider Alexander McCall Smith a Zimbabwean author? Doris Lessing? And we understand too that J.M. Coetzee, Andre Brink, Nadine Gordimer, international award winners, are African writers. They are crap (Coetzee has two Bookers and a Nobel) and is currently the judge of writing contests that are shaping new African writers. Do you anticipate that those writers are going to be crap.

Dambudzo Marechera. What do you think of this fine Zimbabwean writer who has just been claimed as a classic writer by Oxford University.

Which of the other silly questions would you like to answer? I like your views and the breath of you knowledge of African literature. If I knew a little Italian, I could seek out those authors you mentioned, but I would also finally enjoy Boccacio, Dante, etc...

thank you slydog. i appreciate the artwork

Thank you for covering this story here. I respect Alice Munro; powerful writer.

Slydog: those are classics indeed. If you want to explore more, you may read the McCathur fellow Chimamanda Adichie, who falls in the footsteps of Chinua Achebe; then there is Ngugi Wa Thiongo from Kenya,Charles Mungoshi from Zimbabwe, and new names like Petina Gappah, Brian Chikwava, etc

Aquamariana: Ralph Ellison is an intense author; have you read Toni Morrison?

Who determines what's literature? Good question, and it would start a whole new discussion here. Part of the answer for now is that it is important for the distinction of what's literary and what's not to stay, no matter how arbitrary it may be, for people like me, English Majors, to have good reasons to enter our fields. In fact, one or two courageous students ask the question every semester: "What makes literature literary and who decides?" And how I love that question! In the words of Terry Eagleton, the Oxford scholar who commits a whole chapter to defining literature in his landmark book Literary Theory, "Some texts are born literary, some achieve literariness, and some have literariness thrust upon them." As to who decide? Oh, that's easy. As a literature teacher, I help shape/define what's litery, those works of lasting quality which follow the established literary tradition of a culture (American literary tradition, British, German, African, etc). Then, of course, you those works that tend to be viewed as literary, they are literary in form and meaning. But is this really definitive? No, because if enough of us decide your works, Ivor, are part of Zimbabwean literature worth studying in schools and college, they will be literature. All I can tell you is that before I was introduced to literature, I enjoyed James Hardley Chase, Mills & Boon, and Ian Flemming just fine. But I have touched these since Measure for Measure or Julius Caeser. I have had my John Grisham moments, Stephen King, etc.

Thanks Slydog, Punditty and Ivor for stopping by. Now you make me feel guilty, having at some time been taught through my literature major to get used to reading only what's considered literature. You know what, it's time I stock up on Sci-fi and start enjoying myself. Ivor, your idea of expanding the genres of African fiction to include other genres like horror, sci-fi, speculative fiction, and others will do good for the writers and readers. There is so much uncovered ground because most of the writers are taught to be always literary; yet not a lot of readers always enjoy the literary stuff...

I like the way you put it, Sly.

Thank you for your views Punditty

that's intentional, and readers will know; i'm talking about breaking rules without being aware of it.

You make a great point; but do you think there can be a group of readers that tolerates writing full of errors?

Great contribution, Sly. I don't have problem with self-promo; authors should ensure to produce high-quality materials.

@Majdy & shack: Thank you guys for your support. It's something I feel strongly about.

Thanks Avsok,BE, & hardtalk. For once we may take control of how money flows from our hands.

Thanks Pundity for adding the college URL