Foreign awards detrimental to African literature – Elechi Amadi

He made this remark in his address at the J.P Clark Colloquium at the Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos. “In my view, foreign prizes come with a price because foreigners can’t appreciate African writers unless they share the same mindset with them,” Amadi, who came to limelight with his 1966 novel, The Concubine, said. […]

He made this remark in his address at the J.P Clark Colloquium at the Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos.

“In my view, foreign prizes come with a price because foreigners can’t appreciate African writers unless they share the same mindset with them,” Amadi, who came to limelight with his 1966 novel, The Concubine, said.

He added that the awards influence the themes of contemporary African literature as they subtly define the theme in line with non-Africa n perceptions of the continent. He criticized Nigerians for their “predilection for everything foreign” saying the endorsement of western critics should not be used as a yardstick to judge the quality of a book.

Many Nigerian writers have carted home several international literary prizes of late, seeing their fame sky-rocketing with local publishers rushing to publish Nigerian versions of their books which hitherto have passed unnoticed in the country.

Themes of mainly European and American origins have crept into new African literature such that the condoning of homosexuality and the likes are considered the norm. Contrary opinions are described as being insensitive to the reality.

Amadi minced no words in hitting the nail on the head and his view was re-echoed by renowned Ghanaian poet, Professor Atukwei Okai who also at the event, deplored the awards for subtly “massaging our minds towards a particular direction.”