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Future of Literature in Northern Nigeria

Started by Fateez, June 07, 2008, 08:56:17 PM

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Fateez



Hallo fellow writers/readers :)

Have a look at this article and let me know what you think...



Future of Literature in Northern Nigeria
By Professor OLU OBAFEMI
Tuesday, June 3, 2008


Writing, of the creative category is a lonely, lonesome, hazardous, in health and political terms, and a challenging vocation indeed—given the inclement socio-economic and socio-political ambience in our country, and in which the business of creative writing is carried on.

It is worsened by the tradition of grossly inadequate publishing outlets for the manuscripts produced with blood and sweat. It has been observed that nearly all the multinational publishers in Nigeria were/are based in Southern Nigeria. Two, they hardly establish branches to promote literature in the North. Having made their names and gains on the bleeding creative backs of Achebe, Soyinka, Clark, Ekwensi, they turned their backs on literature and obeyed the economic law of demand and supply of publishing commercially viable curriculum text books for primary and secondary schools.

The writers in the north were therefore never really patronized by these multi-nationals. The writers had had, either to approach relatively unknown foreign publishers or to self-publish. The consequence of either practice is unsavoury for the writers and their environment. Poor distribution and poor quality production. Most of the writers in the North are hardly on the curricuum in educational institutions in the South.

Even in the North, self-publishing authors, if they are not lecturers who can carry their works in Ghana-Must-Go and parade institutions where they go examining or conferencing, most of the other writers do not get read. Such writers who can afford to get their initial works published overseas could hardly be read in Nigeria—when there are hardly opportunities for local production rights or domestic distribution of their texts. As Sani Abba graphically expressed, most of those writers who opt for self-publishing suffer a similar fate; their works are 'poorly publicized, inadequately reviewed, and rarely available in the book stores'.

Will these disadvantages hinder or eliminate self-publishing? Hardly possible, given the prevailing sociology of writing and publishing in the country today. Young writers are in a hurry to bear the name of authors—a condition for even becoming members of the umbrella writers' organ—ANA. I have been a constant victim of this publishing hunger. I receive manuscripts with such injunctions as 'kindly help me sir. The publisher wants to go to press next week' or 'the launching of the work is in a month's time, my Chief launcher will travel immediately after'! What's the use then, if the comments I may have will require a surgical re-work of the text. There was a particular occasion in which just as I was getting to read the text, its launching date was announced—in two days' time!!

Some writers—young or old, or both, labour under the sad illusion that being an author is a passport to instant wealth. They need to do a little research as to why most authors today are not full-time writers. Some of us in the academia and the humanities must improve our CV—with evidence of published creative works, if they wish to be smiled upon by the Appointments and Promotion Committees. In any case, there are hungry publishers as there are hungry authors, in a mutual self-seeking game.

In spite of all these, and the inevitable proliferation of self-publishing, the nurturing of our literature is a factor, largely of its quality, of aesthetics of production, technical finish and content. Creative works must benefit from editing, objective assessment on publishability. Publishers, not printers, must do job of book production, if our literature is to be sustained with enduring values.
For a blossoming literary culture to emerge and be sustained, some of these steps must be taken and maintained.

To stimulate and enhance liteary creativity, literary competetions and contests, which used to be the practice in the colonial days need to be resuscitated. The colonialists did it in the 1930s. It should involve all departments of creativity in indigenous and foreign languages—drama, prose, poetry, short stories, film and video, etc. Attractive material rewards should be attached to winning texts. The successful texts should be distributed.

Government and corporate bodies must embark on wide distribution of the winning texts in schools and public libraries. The winning texts must be toured and read in many public institutions. If the colonialists did it with the result of an appreciable growth in the writing and reading culture of the time, there is even a greater need for our governments here in the North and the country generally to do so. Journals, magazines, newspapers should show greater interest in the publication and serialization of literary texts. The growth of a literary and reading culture in the South benefitted tremendously from the spaces which literary journals and newspapers devoted to works of literature. Black Orpheus, The Horn, Nigeria Magazine, Okike and so on, consciously helped to nurture literature. The example of Dandali which I mentioned earlier is worth emulating.

The defunct New Nigerian used to give focus to literature and to book reviews—especially under Abubakar Rasheed. The existing Newspapers like Daily Trust should be more vigorous in serving the course of literature.Governments, voluntary agencies and organizations should endow writers fellowships and offer literary prizes to motivate writers to train and write in a sustained and enduring manner. The fellowships should cater for writers' needs—feeding, accommodation, and honoraria that will enable writers complete creative works in progress with less difficulty than it is now.

Asssociations related to literature—writing and reading—should enhance their activities of promotion and nurturing. ANA has created many literary prizes and is collaborating with government and corporate citizens on workshops, prizes endowments and seminars. Others, like Readers Association of Nigeria (RAN), the Literary Society of Nigeria LSN) the Association of Non-Fiction Authors of Nigeria (ANFAAN) should work more conscientiously to promote literary awareness, help build a reading and writing culture, Our libraries are virtually dead.

There are only very few public libraries in this country. There are fewer reading rooms around. Government should adopt a policy of acquiring at least 1000 copies of one successful creative text of every Nigerian author, registered with ANA and distribute them in libraries and reading rooms, which should now be rehabilitated, or re-built, as the case may be.

The electronic media have been of tremendous help to the growth of creativity in the north in the past. I have mentioned the role of the FRCN. The radio audience, of the Hausa programmes, for instance, is in millions.This could be replicated in the other languages of Tiv, Fulfulde, Kanuri, Idoma, Okun, Ebira, Nupe, Igala and so on. Radio Kaduna encouraged literary developmemt by regularly broadcasting poems, short stories, drama sketches and story-telling sessions. The broadcast of their creative works have availed the authors access to wide audiences.

My first dramatic text, Pestle in the Mortar, was broadcast on the radio/Television Kaduna in 1974 and it was of tremendous inspiration for me. The Hausa television drama evolved out of the broadcast of radio plays by FRCN. Literature is the soul of the society and no subsidy to develop, sustain and nurture it would be excessive. I thus urge the Governments who are directly or indirectly involved in this all-important Summit to invest in the literature of this region and grant generous subsidies to literary to institutions and literary people in their domains.

•Being the concluding part of a lead paper-Sustaining and Nurturing Creative Writing in Northern Nigeria, presented recently at the first summit of Northern Nigerian Writers, Minna, Niger State.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."    ~ Mark Twain


Fateez



I think he hit the nail on the head! What will it take to encourage young writers?

To be honest, the answer is money. Competition inspires people to do things they

never thought they would. I remember why I started writing. I was a little child and

Peak milk had put a huge poster in my school that the winning story will win N800

(The good old days when N800 felt like N80,000). Even though I only came in third

place (and cried like crazy cos I felt like a failure!  :'(  :'(  :'( ) It made me realise

that writing was actually so much fun and that is how I got started.


There's also the problem of publishing, as Muhsin mentioned in another post. I have

decided, together with a group of friends to start an initiative to help support young

Nigerian writers but it's hard to juggle it with our busy lifestyles and of course, studies.

So hopefully we'll get it up and running real soon. I'll post a link and mission statement

up here when we get it all figured out.


I know the ANA is trying but there's just so much more that can be done. Just recently they

awarded Ibrahim Sheme, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Alhaji Labo Yari, Alhaji Abubakar Gimba, Prof.

Zaynab Alkali, Hajiya Balaraba Ramat Yakubu, Hajiya Hafsatu Abdulwaheed,

late Alhaji Abubakar Imam, late Gen. Mamman Jiya Vatsa, late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa,

Nana Asma'u Danfodio, Alhaji Kasimu Yero and many others for their contribution to literature in

northern Nigeria. They have contributed a lot but when we keep celebrating old and already

recognised/established authors and neglect the young burgeoning ones, how do we expect the young

ones to be inspired to read more and write more?


"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."    ~ Mark Twain


Muhsin

#2
I wish I had enough time to go through every line of that post (above). Though I have read your reply; it makes every sense. And I thus feel it could serve as...well...a summary of it. So, let me respond briefly.

Fateez, the future, which is marked boldly as dull and dim, of Literature in our region is really heart-breaking. There's no bright future, I at least solely believe. I once tried writing a piece on that discourse when I listened to Prof. Abdallah's lecture he delivered sometime past to Optimum Writers Association (a local bookworms club) members. He categorically talked on that...though its not the main topic of the lecture.

I heard, again, recently that only Zainab Alkali's writing (s) is recognized enough to have a position in West African book list. But I think, though not for sure, that now Gimba's writings have one also. Yet, this is not a big, if there is any, development to show.

Why all this? Don't we have learned individuals/intellectuals that could write reasonably and have remarkable literary pretentions? Lets us assume the answer is yes (while I know its not), then why should we let it go like this? Can't we put to this 'catastrophic' a heavy wedge? Yeah...we can do that. And that is by supporting our young generation to produce a change in the regard. We, demoralizingly enough, lack this.

Fateez, what you are up to is a very nice idea and thought. Wish, hope and pray to Allah to supprot you. But the thing is getting out of control.

Hope to continue when I get back. Hope, again, others would respond to this thread soon.
Get to know [and remember] Allah in prosperity & He will know  [and remember] you in adversity.

gogannaka

I think the major problem with literature is the readers.
The north lacks readers. Very few percentage of the populace read books of literature.
I believe reading should be encouraged and then later on with patronage the writers will be more willing to write since they have the audience. That implies that more income will accrue for the readers and publishers.
Surely after suffering comes enjoyment

Fateez

Quote from: gogannaka on June 29, 2008, 07:40:57 PM
I think the major problem with literature is the readers.
The north lacks readers. Very few percentage of the populace read books of literature.
I believe reading should be encouraged and then later on with patronage the writers will be more willing to write since they have the audience. That implies that more income will accrue for the readers and publishers.


Very late response (Hehe!)

I don't think we lack readers per se Gogannaka. Many northerners read foreign books. In fact, if there was a poll,

I think you may find a very larger percentage of Northerners read foreign books rather than local ones. Maybe local

books lack effective marketing.

What about the writers being hounded by censorship boards? And book burning events that happen (with the support

of some very renowned leaders)? I think that's what's regressing us! These to me are the real issues...


"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."    ~ Mark Twain


bakangizo

Quote from: Fateez on July 12, 2009, 07:16:52 PM


Very late response (Hehe!)

I don't think we lack readers per se Gogannaka. Many northerners read foreign books. In fact, if there was a poll,

I think you may find a very larger percentage of Northerners read foreign books rather than local ones. Maybe local

books lack effective marketing.

What about the writers being hounded by censorship boards? And book burning events that happen (with the support

of some very renowned leaders)?
I think that's what's regressing us! These to me are the real issues...




Wrong. It got nothing to do with censorship. The issue of censorship is a recent phenomenom. Long before it, it has always been like that. I believe the problem is manyfold - readership, lack of effective marketing, preponderance of below-quality books, and our mindset.  The readership in the North is poor. Take for instance the case of newspapers. There was a time when there wasn't a single daily newspaper in the whole north! Now, you can't blame censorship for that, can you ;D Even now, you find out that in most offices here, ppl patronize the likes Thisday, Sun, Vanguard, etc over Daily Trust and Leadership. That's just an example, but a good pointer.

Muhsin

Assalamu alaikum,

Without writing anything lengthy here, let me sum it up; they problem with our people is twofold: One is our unmentionable poor understanding of the language--English. Second, is our disappointing reading habit. And that is to point out that those who have a good command of the language barely bother to read. These is the key to the whole problems, which include all these mentioned by the above poster and much more. But censorship have nothing whatsoever to do with that.   
Get to know [and remember] Allah in prosperity & He will know  [and remember] you in adversity.

HUSNAA

Quote from: Fateez on July 12, 2009, 07:16:52 PM
Quote from: gogannaka on June 29, 2008, 07:40:57 PM
I think the major problem with literature is the readers.
The north lacks readers. Very few percentage of the populace read books of literature.
I believe reading should be encouraged and then later on with patronage the writers will be more willing to write since they have the audience. That implies that more income will accrue for the readers and publishers.


Very late response (Hehe!)

I don't think we lack readers per se Gogannaka. Many northerners read foreign books. In fact, if there was a poll,

I think you may find a very larger percentage of Northerners read foreign books rather than local ones. Maybe local

books lack effective marketing.

What about the writers being hounded by censorship boards? And book burning events that happen (with the support

of some very renowned leaders)? I think that's what's regressing us! These to me are the real issues...



Yes I also think that creativity is stifled throu censorship especially in Kano. Some yrs back when there was a burgeoning interest in reading Hausa romance novels, there was such ahue and  cry about adulterating our culture blah blah blah. So hypocritical!!! As if boys and girls dont meet in reality and fall in love. We all know about the times when boys visit girls and they stand outside the girls house suyi zance. Wasnt that all a part of the process of the love and romance? But when it was written about, ppl began to object. At least if we had carried on, other books of other genre written in Hausa may have been given a chance to blossom and the language vastly improved.
I am an avid listener of BBC Hausa and  Radio DW Hausa. I can tell u that some times and especially with the BBC Hausa crowd, they sometimes misrepresent the translated version of the English news. Some words are difficult to get the direct translation of, from English to Hausa and so they flounder. The DW crowd also do the same thing, and it led me to think that our language, despite its longevity, is not as rich in terminology as the English language and I came to the conclusion that it is because we do not have so many literary outlets for it, and that is why we cannot find words to describe or translate words from other languages especially English.
Ghafurallahi lana wa lakum

bakangizo

QuoteI am an avid listener of BBC Hausa and  Radio DW Hausa. I can tell u that some times and especially with the BBC Hausa crowd, they sometimes misrepresent the translated version of the English news. Some words are difficult to get the direct translation of, from English to Hausa and so they flounder. The DW crowd also do the same thing, and it led me to think that our language, despite its longevity, is not as rich in terminology as the English language and I came to the conclusion that it is because we do not have so many literary outlets for it, and that is why we cannot find words to describe or translate words from other languages especially English.

This is not peculiar to Hausa language. In most cases, translating news or books from one language to the other is never smooth. No way will you have an exact meaning, and no way will you always have direct synonyms and meanings, simply because cultures and ways of life are not the same. And these are what ultimately reflect in peoples' terminologies and words usage. It got nothing to do with literary outlets. Or lack thereof.

The avalanche of those hausa books in recent years (romance and thrillers) was really not a result of any literary or creative talent. A great majority of those are nothing but direct translations of Indian and American movies. Which was why eventually some started having a tinge of pornography. You can't even go through two pages of most of them without feeling ashamed. They are ridiculous, really. So thank God for Censorship. It is necessary, to weed out the chaf from the grain.

EMTL

Assalamu alaikum,
Yes it is true that we have poor reading culture on Hausa Litreture- although some our people read lots of Arabic and Islamic books.

Economic reason could be another factor, I happens to be part of an organisation that publish Hausa Magazines (Arrisalah) and I can tell you that we have been out of prouction because of huge loses we make each time.
In the Affairs of People Fear Allah (SWT). In the Matters Relating to Allah (SWT) Do not be Afraid of Anybody. Ibn Katthab (RA).

Muhsin

Quote from: EMTL on July 20, 2009, 09:44:43 AM
Assalamu alaikum,
Yes it is true that we have poor reading culture on Hausa Litreture- although some our people read lots of Arabic and Islamic books.

Economic reason could be another factor, I happens to be part of an organisation that publish Hausa Magazines (Arrisalah) and I can tell you that we have been out of prouction because of huge loses we make each time.

Wa'alaika salam,

May Allah grant Sheikh Ja'afar's soul an eternal peace. He encouraged people to read, read and read. Thats why he even made it rather compulsory for everyone to buy a copy of At-Tatbiq newspaper on Friday of every two weeks (as the time they publish a new copy)--to support the newspaper crew and invite more of its kind to be published. Yet people barely do that. Too bad.

I think publishing newspaper/magazine/book/etc is no more a lucrative business in Northern Nigeria.
Get to know [and remember] Allah in prosperity & He will know  [and remember] you in adversity.

Fateez

Quote from: Bakan~Gizo on July 16, 2009, 05:50:10 PM
Quote from: Fateez on July 12, 2009, 07:16:52 PM


Very late response (Hehe!)

I don't think we lack readers per se Gogannaka. Many northerners read foreign books. In fact, if there was a poll,

I think you may find a very larger percentage of Northerners read foreign books rather than local ones. Maybe local

books lack effective marketing.

What about the writers being hounded by censorship boards? And book burning events that happen (with the support

of some very renowned leaders)?
I think that's what's regressing us! These to me are the real issues...




Wrong. It got nothing to do with censorship. The issue of censorship is a recent phenomenom. Long before it, it has always been like that. I believe the problem is manyfold - readership, lack of effective marketing, preponderance of below-quality books, and our mindset.  The readership in the North is poor. Take for instance the case of newspapers. There was a time when there wasn't a single daily newspaper in the whole north! Now, you can't blame censorship for that, can you ;D Even now, you find out that in most offices here, ppl patronize the likes Thisday, Sun, Vanguard, etc over Daily Trust and Leadership. That's just an example, but a good pointer.

Bakangizo, whether censorship is new or old, the fact is that the current censorship is not helping the "future of literature".

Yes, the problem is many fold, but the ridiculous censorship is not helping matters at all! If anything, it's worsening literacy.

They are sending subliminal messages that reading is bad.

Do you remember the book burning ceremony that took place in 2007? They went to a secondary school and burnt books! Tell

me how is that helping anybody? Of all places to burn books, they went to a secondary school! Going to an institution that's

supposed to encourage reading and then sending a message to the students that books are bad is so contradictory. Why don't they

just go to jail and teach the convicts Shooting 101?

Censorship is necessary, I 100% agree with that. But just because 1 writer is bad doesn't mean all of them are bad. You can't

punish an entire profession for the habit of a few.

You know what's worse? The fact that if the State govt actually sat down to reason with the writers, they can work out a lovely

symbiosis, where the writers can help improve literacy and encourage education. Through their large fan bases and plot lines,

they have more power than they realise to influence the minds of millions and yet, instead of the government to tap into this

great resource, they are arresting all of them one by one. How do you expect readership to improve?
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."    ~ Mark Twain


gogannaka

Very good observation Fateez.
I never actually saw it that way.

Our own censorship ways are bizzare.
Surely after suffering comes enjoyment

Fateez

#13
Quote from: gogannaka on August 20, 2009, 09:28:09 PM
Very good observation Fateez.
I never actually saw it that way.

Our own censorship ways are bizzare.

Thank you for understanding where I'm coming from Gogannaka. Instead of insulting everyone, I wish Rabo

will just have a brainstorm session with kannywood and ANA on how they could work things out. Set some mutual ground

rules that both parties can stick to. Define what's "acceptable" and what's not, also where they should draw

the line. After all, they all have the common ground that they want to influence people through their actions.

Might as well use it to their advantage. But no, dude's been acting like he's ruling Nazi Germany.

There's something else that baffles me. I'm pretty sure I have seen Mills and Boon books in Kano. Yes, the

ones that have a vivid illustration of the content on the cover. How come those books don't get censored? Or

the hollywood movies that have intimate scenes but are readily available for purchase in Kano. Why don't those

ones get burned? But no, it's the poor local ones that are doing it for the passion that get punished.

If you're going to censor one, then censor them all! This selective censorship is nothing but hypocrisy, bullying and abuse of power!

Even "Young Muhsin", a writer who claims these books are scraps and definitely deserve this treatment from

Rabo reads Sidney Sheldon! Tell me Muhsin, are there no intimate scenes in Sidney Sheldon books? Isn't his

writing style known for detailed feminine intimacy and sexuality? Did anyone stop you from reading it? So what,

it's okay for you to read those because it's in English but just because (something lighter and much less detailed)

is written in Hausa it's suddenly wrong?

I'm beginning to think our people just hate it when the truth comes out!
Read this Interview with author Sa'adatu Baba. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/African_Writers/50438
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."    ~ Mark Twain


bakangizo

Quote from: Fateez on August 20, 2009, 08:44:35 PM
Quote from: Bakan~Gizo on July 16, 2009, 05:50:10 PM
Quote from: Fateez on July 12, 2009, 07:16:52 PM


Very late response (Hehe!)

I don't think we lack readers per se Gogannaka. Many northerners read foreign books. In fact, if there was a poll,

I think you may find a very larger percentage of Northerners read foreign books rather than local ones. Maybe local

books lack effective marketing.

What about the writers being hounded by censorship boards? And book burning events that happen (with the support

of some very renowned leaders)?
I think that's what's regressing us! These to me are the real issues...




Wrong. It got nothing to do with censorship. The issue of censorship is a recent phenomenom. Long before it, it has always been like that. I believe the problem is manyfold - readership, lack of effective marketing, preponderance of below-quality books, and our mindset.  The readership in the North is poor. Take for instance the case of newspapers. There was a time when there wasn't a single daily newspaper in the whole north! Now, you can't blame censorship for that, can you ;D Even now, you find out that in most offices here, ppl patronize the likes Thisday, Sun, Vanguard, etc over Daily Trust and Leadership. That's just an example, but a good pointer.

Bakangizo, whether censorship is new or old, the fact is that the current censorship is not helping the "future of literature".

Yes, the problem is many fold, but the ridiculous censorship is not helping matters at all! If anything, it's worsening literacy.

They are sending subliminal messages that reading is bad.

Do you remember the book burning ceremony that took place in 2007? They went to a secondary school and burnt books! Tell

me how is that helping anybody? Of all places to burn books, they went to a secondary school! Going to an institution that's

supposed to encourage reading and then sending a message to the students that books are bad is so contradictory. Why don't they

just go to jail and teach the convicts Shooting 101?

Censorship is necessary, I 100% agree with that. But just because 1 writer is bad doesn't mean all of them are bad. You can't

punish an entire profession for the habit of a few.

You know what's worse? The fact that if the State govt actually sat down to reason with the writers, they can work out a lovely

symbiosis, where the writers can help improve literacy and encourage education. Through their large fan bases and plot lines,

they have more power than they realise to influence the minds of millions and yet, instead of the government to tap into this

great resource, they are arresting all of them one by one. How do you expect readership to improve?


The problem is we like making generalizations. You say authors are hounded. Tell me one author that was "arrested" or "hounded" or whatever, and I'll tell you 10 that where writing day in day out, without anyone disturbing them. Why, bcos they were good. They didn't break any rule. Is it that difficult to write a good, decent book? It is easy to condemn the Censorship, but you can't give an example of one decent book by any good writer that was confiscated. So if, according to you, one bad authour does not mean the whole are bad, the same way if the board stopped one or two books/authors doesn't mean everything they do is wrong. And talking the board/govt meeting them, I assure you that that has been done several times. Wasun su kunnen kashi ne kawai dasu.

Using the english books (sydney sheldon) as a  case point is wrong. Very wrong. Are you saying since their books are dirty, our's should be allowed to be the same? Samething like, since they dress indecently, there's nothing wrong if we start aping them, right? No matter what, a society must try to preserve its socio-cultural identity. The censor board may not be perfect,and I believe in the course of their duty, they must have execuited one or two wrong steps. But sincerely I shudder to think of what might become of our literature if they were given a free role to do as they like. Like I said, a lot of the books can be quite quite stupid and ridiculous.