Postcolonial African Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook

Postcolonial African writers frequently examine such issues as emerging identities in the postcolonial climate, neo-colonialism and new forms of oppression, cultural and political hegemonies, neo-elitism, language appropriation, and economic instability. During the last decade, their works have elicited increasing critical attention. This reference book overviews postcolonial African literature. The volume focuses on how postcoloniality is reflected in the novels, poetry, prose and drama of writers from diverse countries in Africa, including representative North and South African writers as well as writers of the Indian diaspora born in Africa. The volume principally considers Anglophone and Francophone authors, alongside two Lusophone writers. The book begins with an introductory essay on postcolonial criticism and African writing. It then presents alphabetically arranged profiles of approximately 60 writers, such as Chinua Achebe, Ama Ata Aidoo, Nadine Gordimer, Doris Lessing, Gabriel Okara and Efua Theodora Sutherland. Each entry includes a brief biography, a discussion of major works and themes that appear in the author’s writings, an overview of the critical response to the author’s works, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. The volume concludes with with a selected general bibliography of important critical works on postcolonial African literature.