Writing is a form of release and catharsis. Ngugi wa Thiong’o, the famed Kenyan author, said something that has really made me stop and think. He used to write in English but now he writes all of his novels in Gikuyu and Swahili as he thinks African literature should be captured in indigenous languages, not colonial ones. What is the importance of his opinion? I entirely see his point yet part of me begs to differ.
I believe that he is enriching Swahili and I would like to read his work in Swahili however I think by prohibiting him writing in English, he is almost shutting out other black people from enjoying his work. He is an incredibly important figure but I do think to an extent that writing in English and Swahili and Gikuyu provide a complex and engaging foundation for discussing post-colonial African literature.
I admit, I am one of those romantics about the written word and how it can change and challenge people. However, does writing in English make me less African? If I write in Swahili, does that create an authentic East African novel? I believe that Thiong’o is trying to reach out to the swahiliphone public and he is thus making himself accessible. I do believe that literature should be shared by all of all linguistic background. English is seen as an important and “holy grail” language at home because it is seen as a sign of education.
The written word is a powerful tool. Language is one that can make people twisted and affect how they see their identity. Does the language we choose to write in manipulate how effective the written word is?
Really interesting thoughts — thanks everyone!!
Melissa — Exactly what you mentioned about reaching out to people is one reason why I write in English. I want to be able to discuss things that are important/controversial and share them with anglophones. I do similarly want to write more in Swahili. Perhaps a mixture of both languages in a novel? That would surely spark debate amongst purists!
Ensayn — They have called themselves “Damu”? Oh My God..That is shocking and sad. They should channel the language in a positive way… As for Spanish, I am still on sitting on the fence with that one lol but you have raised some very good points — food for thought!
If a novel/article is meant for a certain audience then it makes sense to write it in the local language but if you want to reach out to black people worldwide or you want to make an encompassing piece of work, then a colonial language should be picked. I am learning French as part of my university course and I have read Fanon because of it and I have learnt a great deal. Let’s keep spreading Pan-Africanism!
Aulelia,
Agree or not you really put post out that make my mind just buzz!!! Thank you!!!
This is true, that spanish is a colonial language and the fact remains that Black people in the West are saddled with these languages. Yes, many have endeavored to learn Swahili, so much so, that, unfortunately a Southern California gang “set” calls themselves Damu. However,we cannot forget that Spanish is built primarily on the language the Black Moors from all over Africa and North Africa now known as the Arabian Peninsula brought to to the Iberian Peninsula. So, it is a colonial language because it was brought to the Americas North and South by the Spaniards, but more than any other colonial language Spanish has its roots in Africa and the Amharic language (the root language of Arabic). Spaniards at that time, by the way were not soley what we would call white people today, as many of them were Black people on board those ships that came with Columbus and before.
Now to the question of whether literature SHOULD be written in native tongues or in local dialets. I would not say SHOULD be, because as you pointed out it may block the writing from being a truley Pan-African work.
However, does writing in English make me less African?
This isn’t a question on which I feel I can offer an opinion, since I’m a white American. But being a white American who doesn’t speak Swahili, I’m glad you do write in English–even if it were offered as a complement to writing in Swahili–because I value what I learn from reading your posts and the discussions here.
(Which is not, btw, meant at all to suggest you should cater to me or people like me, but just to point out that English does afford you the ability to more easily reach me or people like me. And lord knows most of us have enough problems listening in English. Sigh.)
LeChatNoir – Thanks for your comment. Swahili is one of the most powerful African languages (ha ha, I am biased after all!) but I do think East African authors struggle in whether to write in English or Swahili. Writing in Swahili would envoke a certain authenticity that English could never achieve but writing in Swahili would also prohibit the creation of a pan-African novel.
Ensayn — Thanks for your comment too. Your point about Spanish is interesting. However, spanish is also in itself a colonial language in terms of how it took over south america. Should black people aim to write in other colonial languages so that hispanophone black people can understand? I think it is a good option. However, the problem is the theory of identity gets thrown into the mix. Black people speak many languages, indigenous and colonial. It wholly depends on what message you are trying to get out. For example, I am in love with Black West Indian literature and I am trying to get my hands on anglophone and francophone caribbean literature. Should these books be written in the local dialects or standard English?
English in itself has metamorphosed but lol @ your american comment. I must admit, sometimes when Americans talk, I can hardly understand certain phrases but the same can be applied to me with how I mix English. In fact, my siblings and I have our own mish-mash of Kiswahili and English — many people have commented on which language I speak with them and I always say both — literally, both meshed together!
Aulelia,
I happen to think that the language one writes in does manipulate the effect of the written word. As Lechatnoir says there are things that cannot be translated from ones native language into one of the colonial languages. Even, as for myself living in the Western hemisphere I experience this, even when (A)merican is my primary language. I do not say English as it is truly not English in its truest form. I believe this is the reason so many Black scholars created or explored the Ebonics thing, which somehow got tangled into slang which Ebonics is not. There are things I can say to another Black person here in the Americas including people from the Caribbean, using the same “English” word and it will carry a totally different spin than what would be perceived by someone that is not Black or a Black person that didn’t grow up on this side of the world. During the “slogan fest” last night misnomered Presidential Debate I saw Barak Obama do just this, and every Black person in the audience and those watching picked up on it.
On the question of writing in English making you less African, I can see those that may feel that way but it would be totally false presumption on their part. I speak spanish as a second language and many Black people have felt that I was giving in to the current wave of Mexican, El Salvadoran, Honduran and Guatamalan illegal immegration, which is far from the the truth. In fact Spanish is the second most widely spoken language by Black people in the world, after Swahili. Black people in the Americas are some of the only Black people on the planet that have continued to be a unilingual people, and this is a shame.
Aulélia,
Part of me thinks you are right but i believe there are still many things that we cannot express in colonial languages and countless expressions and name of symbolic locations in our mithology that can only be uncovered in the natives languages, i read many books by senghor and Bebey and at times my mind could tell with clear precision what expressions of words the ther struggled to translate in French even though they grew up speaking a colonial French. approximative is not accurate.
writing in a colonial languages is fine i am not fighting these languages but also noticed that african authors are the only ones to have either an extra lingo glossary at the end of the book or have an extra 3 lines ( all in italic )on each page with the translations of the words that nobody can put intinctively in the context of the narration.
In the case of swahili, i really assumed (i was wrong ) that with over 100 millions of native swahilophones you have more room then anyone who wants to keep the novels in their native african essence.The author can well reach 1 millions of souls.