An African Reader's Comment on Binyavanga Wainaina and NoViolet Bulawayo's Guardian Arguments
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...
