Third Generation of Nigerian Writers

The Third Generation of Nigeria Writers is an emerging phase of Nigerian literature, in which there is a major shift in both the method of publishing and the themes explored.[1][2] This set of writers are known for writing post-independence novels and poems.[lower-alpha 1][3] This generation is believed to be influenced by the western world,[5] politics[6] and the preceding generation of Mbari Club writers,[7] Flora Nwapa and Buchi Emecheta.[8] The emergence of the third generation of Nigerian writers has changed the publishing sector with a resurgence of new publishing firms such as Kachifo Limited, Parrésia Publishers, Cassava Republic Press and Farafina Books.[9][10] These new writers create new genres and methods that deal with racism, class, abuse and violence.[11][12]

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Etymology

The word was coined by Nigeria author Professor Pius Adesanmi and Chris Dunton in their publication titled Nigeria's Third Generation Writing: Historiography and Preliminary Theoretical Considerations in 2005.[13][14]

Beginning

Since the early 1990s, several novels have been published to mark the advent of the third generation of Nigerian writers. During this time, some Nigerian writers wrote breakaway literature writings, which were quite different from the norm; such writings include: The Famished Road (1991) by Ben Okri, The Icarus Girl (2005) by Helen Oyeyemi, GraceLand (2004) by Chris Abani and Masters of the Board also by Chris Abani amongst other.[15][16][17][14]

Breakout
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, one of the third generation of Nigerian writers

The third generation of Nigerian writers have experimented with different genres and styles.[12] The most prominent of the third generation of writers is conceived to be Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who started off with Purple Hibiscus. Another is Okey Ndibe, whose debut novel Arrows of Rain "has been applauded as a faithful representation of social consciousness and political activism that run through the third-generation of Nigerian novelists". Helon Habila, whose Waiting for an Angel has been said to be interwoven with that of Adichie's and Ndibe's.[3] Another of the notable events is the emergence of Africanfuturism, a genre pioneered by Nigerian American writer Nnedi Okorafor.[18] This has led to the introduction of speculative fiction to the Nigerian literary space, with writers such as Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Mazi Nwonwu, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Chinelo Onwualu, Tade Thompson, A. Igoni Barrett, Dandy Jackson Chukwudi taking on the new genre.[19][20][21][22][18] Mazi Nwonwu, writing for Strange Horizons, described the new set of stories as being part of a "tradition of spinning tales."[23] In Comics, third generation comics exist: Comic Republic Global Network, a Lagos-based publisher, is prominent in creating Africanfuturist superheroes like Guardian Prime.[24][25] Laguardia, a comic book by Nnedi Okorafor, is also associated with Africanfuturism.[26]

Use of new media

The third generation of Nigerian writers has used new media technology as a medium to showcase their stories and poetry to a worldwide audience.[27][28] This new medium has introduced the use of literary magazines such as Omenana,[29] Saraba, and Jalada, as a means of publishing and distributihg independently.[9] This has been criticised by such Nigerian critics as Sinatu Ojikutu, Charles Nnolim, Ikhide Ikheloa, Niyi Osundare and Olu Obafemi.[27][30][31][32][33]

See also

References
  1. Amadi, Osa (7 November 2021). "Nigerian writers should 'bomb' criminals with words – Prof Adimora-Ezeigbo". Vanguard. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  2. Online, Tribune (26 March 2022). "A New Generation Of Nigerian Writers: Who Are They?". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. Coker, Oluwole (April 23, 2017). "Theorising third-generation Nigerian novels". The Guardian. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  4. The Poetics and Politics of 21st Century Nigerian Writing. ProQuest LLC. 2014. p. 350.
  5. Coffey, Meredith Armstrong (May 25, 2016). Narrow nationalisms and third generation Nigerian fiction (Thesis). doi:10.15781/T2X63B60G. Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via University of Texas Libraries.
  6. Egya, Sule E. (July 2012). "Historicity, power, dissidence: The third-generation poetry and military oppression in Nigeria". African Affairs. 444 (111): 424–441. doi:10.1093/afraf/ads025 – via Oxford Academic.
  7. Courtois, Cédric (April 1, 2018). ""In this Country, the Very Air We Breathe Is Politics": Helon Habila and the Flowing Together of Politics and Poetics". Commonwealth Essays and Studies. 40 (2): 55–68. doi:10.4000/ces.289. S2CID 216894122 – via OpenEdition.org.
  8. Nadaswaran, Shalini (2011). "Rethinking Family Relationships In Third‐Generation Nigerian Women's Fiction". RELIEF. Igitur Publishing. 5 (1): 19–32. doi:10.18352/relief.652. ISSN 1873-5045.
  9. Shercliff, Emma (December 9, 2015). "The changing face of Nigerian literature". British Council. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  10. Bookshy (2012). "52 Years of Nigerian Literature: The Third Generation". BookShy. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  11. Features, BellaNaija (January 1, 2018). "10 Contemporary Nigerian Writers To Look Out For in 2018". BellaNaija.
  12. Alter, Alexandra (November 23, 2017). "A Wave of New Fiction From Nigeria, as Young Writers Experiment With New Genres". New York Times.
  13. Adesanmi, Pius; Dunton, Chris (2005). "Nigeria's Third Generation Writing: Historiography and Preliminary Theoretical Considerations". English in Africa. 32 (1): 7–19. JSTOR 40239026 – via JSTOR.
  14. Dalley, Hamish (2013). "The Idea of "Third Generation Nigerian Literature": Conceptualizing Historical Change and Territorial Affiliation in the Contemporary Nigerian Novel". Research in African Literatures. 44 (4): 15–34. doi:10.2979/reseafrilite.44.4.15. hdl:1885/75434. JSTOR 10.2979/reseafrilite.44.4.15. S2CID 143625804 – via JSTOR.
  15. Awuzie, Solomon (September 25, 2015). "Didacticism and the Third Generation of African Writers: Chukwuma Ibezute's The Temporal Gods and Goddess in the Cathedral". Tydskrif vir Letterkunde. 52 (2): 159–175. doi:10.4314/TVL.V52I2.11 – via SciELO.
  16. Ojaide, Tanure (September 25, 2015). "Contemporary Africa and the Politics in Literature". In Ojaide, Tanure (ed.). Indigeneity, Globalization, and African Literature: Personally Speaking. African Histories and Modernities. Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 19–41. doi:10.1057/9781137560032_2. ISBN 9781137560032 – via Springer Link.
  17. Jones, Rebecca (September 25, 2011). "Nigerian 'third generation' writing and the idea of home in Helen Oyeyemi's The Icarus Girl and Sefi Atta's Everything Good Will Come". African Renaissance. 8 (2): 39–58 – via AfricaBib.
  18. Alter, Alexandra (October 6, 2017). "Nnedi Okorafor and the Fantasy Genre She Is Helping Redefine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  19. Umezurike, Chukwuebuka (January 23, 2022). "New Nigerian Literature Unsung Heroes". This Day. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  20. Moreno-Garcia, Silvia; Tidhar, Lavie (May 14, 2021). "African speculative fiction is finally getting its due. Let's talk about books to seek out". Washington Post.
  21. Ibrahim, Anifowoshe (October 22, 2020). "10 African SFF Novels That Offer a Breath of Fresh Air". Tor.com.
  22. Clerc, Sabine (January 22, 2021). "Nigerian author Tade Thompson takes the science fiction world by storm". The Africa Report.
  23. Nwonwu, Mazi (April 30, 2019). "The State of Play of Nigerian SFF Today". Strange Horizons. No. 29. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  24. Barnett, David (February 3, 2016). "African Avengers: the comic book creators shaking up superhero genre". The Guardian. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  25. "Digital comics change the way the world sees Africa - CNN Video" (video), CNN, November 23, 2016, retrieved October 8, 2021
  26. Chukwuebuka Ibeh (October 12, 2020). "Nnedi Okorafor's LaGuardia Wins 2020 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic". Brittle Paper. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  27. Idowu, Tobi (July 1, 2018). "Young writers expand frontiers of Nigerian literature on social media". The Guardian. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  28. Whiteman, Myne (May 15, 2011). "Social Media and the future of books in Nigeria". Vanguard. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  29. Eatough, Matthew (17 September 2019). "The Participatory Cultures of Omenana: Reading and Writing on a Nigerian SF Website". Post45. Retrieved 29 March 2022. Billed as a venue open to "speculative fiction writers from across Africa and the African diaspora"...
  30. Times, Premium (August 26, 2021). "Descent from Humanism: Literature, music, and the media, By Olu Obafemi". Premium Times. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  31. Kalu, Uduma (19 August 2019). "Chukwuemeka Akachi, the young poet with a mark of death". Vanguard. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  32. Nwankwo, Chimalum (12 January 2019). "Chimalum Nwankwo: Chimamanda should be careful". The Sun (Interview). Interviewed by Henry Akubiro. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  33. Olusegun-Joseph, Yomi (23 October 2016). "The Unfortunate Generation writes back: The signifying tears in Akeem Lasisi's Night Of Flight – Part 1". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2022.

Notes
  1. They have also been referred to as Twenty-first century writer, Fourth generation writers and Fifth generation writers [3][1][4]
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