tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14178551.post5205988155782249312..comments2023-10-21T14:06:43.859+01:00Comments on Border Crossings Blog: The African NovelMichael Wallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05796245815745673857noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14178551.post-55339417613347312572020-09-09T10:12:29.834+01:002020-09-09T10:12:29.834+01:00From Alastair Niven - Chair of Border Crossings an...<b>From Alastair Niven - Chair of Border Crossings and former Director General of the Africa Centre:</b><br /><br />Ironically though I agree that Ngugi's language debate is crucial I thought the idea that he shows huge versatility in his fiction was terribly overstated. <i>The Wizard of Crow</i> is far too long and as a satire runs completely out of steam. I recall the robust language debates of the 1980s. It was not just Achebe who argued against the Ngugi position but others too. I remember Lewis Nkosi of South Africa putting a question to Ngugi: 'How will other African readers discover our works unless through a shared language like English?' The point is that he asked the question in Zulu, so Ngugi had no idea what he was asking. Lewis thus made his point. But they were exciting times and one of my proudest memories is of Ngugi rehearsing and staging his play <i>The Trial of Dedan Kimathi</i> at the Africa Centre.<br /><br />I thought last night's programme was well researched and it was good to see African critics like Mpalive Msiska, a good friend, being asked for their opinions, but you are absolutely right that there are many other ways of validating the quality of African authors other than awards in London's Guildhall. When I was a student at the University of Ghana, African novels were by far the most borrowed, vandalised and stolen books in the university library! That betokened more than a western literary prize, I suspect!Michael Wallinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05796245815745673857noreply@blogger.com