WEALTH OF IDEAS

Binyavanga Wainaina's interview on the Guardian and NoViolet Bulawayo's counter-argument are important pieces of literature. Such dialogue should be encouraged in all literature, but particularly in the thing we must all call African literature. Writers like Bulawayo and Wainaina, and, of course, Chimamanda, Gappah, including others who prefer to commucate only through their fictional writing, are very important. For one, they are arguing in a context that has awarded their works. The Caine does not mince words; it is designed to recognize the best of African short fiction  that's succeeding in doing something for the [African] literary world. If I was a winner of such an award, I wouldn't shy away from representing a large chunk of African literature; doing so is a  responsible thing, it's like putting my influence to work: Africa, this ONE place, needs such voices. Good job Binya and NoViolet. Your readers appreciate what you have done for yourselves and for Afric...

There was once a time when I would open a blank page and blog away. Any topic within the broad spectrum of books or ideas. A time when I followed the wealth of ideas concept closely. Such blogging was inspiring, it led to the discovery of new ideas, and as I blogged, I would hear echoes of other writers' sayings, echoes from such disparate names as Flannery O'connor, Charles Mungoshi, Ama Ata Aidoo, Ernest Hemingway, Dambudzo Marechera, Chinua Achebe, Robert Frost, E.M. Forster, James Joyce and others. Echoes such as: Don't write, follow the dream; how do you know what you are thinking unless you start writing; I write because I feel too much, start a story with a specific individual doing something and you will have a story, I write to discover what I am thinking, I write to capture the ideas I don't know I have. Hence, I was thinking of my blog, and the process of blogging, as tapping into a wealth of ideas. Yes, there was once such a time. And now, that time is comin...

Literary Agents. These are rare creatures in most African countries. But as the continent's writing continues to expand its global reach, it seems inevitable that continent-grown agents emerge to meet the growing need of the writers. The birth of Lumina Literary Agency in Nigeria is one important step in meeting this need. Coordinated by Lumina Foundation founder Ogochukwu Promise and US-based writer Unoma Azuah, this new agency is geared to connect emerging writers in Africa to publishing opportunities. Below are the details about the agency: The progress of any nation is inter-twined with the quality of the imagination of the people and Lumina Literary Agency has taken up the mandate to contribute to the sustenance of both the quality and quantity of Nigerian writers. It is this self-imposed cultural agenda that necessitated the birth of Lumina Literary Agency (one of the subsidiaries of the Lu ... mina Foundation) in Nigeria. The new agency is poised to aggressively scout for ...

    Presents Mary Mackey and Sharon Coleman Mon. Nov. 28 at 7:30 PM 1719 25th Street Host: Tim Kahl Mary Mackey was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. After receiving her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan, she moved to California to become Professor of English and Writer-in-Residence at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). She is married to Angus Wright, CSUS Emeritus Professor of Environmental Studies, with whom she frequently travels to Brazil. Mackey’s published works include six volumes of poetry (Split Ends, One Night Stand, Skin Deep, The Dear Dance of Eros, Breaking the Fever, and Sugar Zone); a short novel (Immersion—the first novel published by a Second Wave feminist press); and twelve other novels (McCarthy's List, Doubleday; The Last Warrior Queen, Putnam; A Grand Passion, Simon & Schuster; Season of Shadows, Bantam; The Kindness of Strangers, Simon & Schuster; The Year The Horses Came, Harper ...

Well and Poorly Translated Texts   One of the most overlooked and unsung heroes of literature is the translator. While not always authors, reviewers or critics, translators' labor allows millions of readers access to works they may otherwise never been able to enjoy. A great translation must not only remain true to the content and spirit of the original, but in some cases can even enhance and improve the literary work itself. Properly translating any text goes well beyond simply transmuting words from one language to another. Readers may not think translating requires a master's degree or even higher-level training, but it takes a deep understanding of both tongues, their vernaculars, cultural differences, and a thorough dissection of the original text. This is especially true of old or complex works such as philosophical texts, or the detailed worlds of fantasy literature. For instance, the Wiedźmin literary saga of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and translated int...

Here is some information on Contest deadlines harvested in cyberspace. I want to commit one day a week to posting contest information. Maybe Wednesdays? We shall see. There is already a very good resource that gives monthly deadlines at About.com. There is a wealth of other resources as well, but I am thinking that since we are already here at Wealth of Ideas, why not publish such information as well? So if you know of contests and deadlines out there, tell me and I will create an update. We will be doing something similar to what I show below, a November calendar I lifted  from this rich place. , the fiction writing section of About.com . I don't know if I will follow this format, but I know readers will find the information useful. Most US-based contests require an entry fee. This means that when you decide to enter a contest, make sure you have polished up your story. There are other contests where you don't have to pay, which, as one of my friends once said, will reject yo...