Re-imagining African Literature

African literature receives a boost as African Writers Development Trust plans the first of its kind, in contemporary times, an African Writers Conference. This will hold this year, 2018,  in Abuja, Nigeria from the 30^th of November to the 2^nd of December.

The theme for the conference is: Re-imagining African Literature: New Voices, New Narratives in the fight for the girl child.  Now, you may want to read the theme again and carefully this time. This is not just a meeting where African Writers will gather and talk about the need to redefine the traditional gender roles that the African girl child has played and should play in literature, no. This is a unique, one of a kind conference that will explore and analyze what hasn’t been written and what needs to be written and why new voices should write them.

Yes, you read that right- new voices. It’s an amazing opportunity for emerging writers and even established ones to come and discuss the new narratives that will speak against the practices that continue to negate the growth of the girl child like sexual discrimination, forced marriages, wife inheritance, domestic violence, and even the contemporary ills like the glass ceiling at the work place, predefined career options, amongst many others.  It’s about the need to develop female characters whose roles go beyond cooking, reproducing and care giving.

In doing this, we will dignify the place of the woman, not only in African Literature but also in the society. So this conference is for all writers-new, old, emerging, established, black, white, male, female-all writers.

I should also point out that this conference is not meant to demean or undermine the important role of the man/boy in the African narrative. Rather, it aims to find a point of convergence that will provide greater meaning to the interactions, and the ever changing complementary roles of both the male and female in the African society.

The discussions in the conference will go beyond writing about women’s economic independence, their relationship with their husbands and children, their traditional beliefs and their status in the community as a whole; it will delve into the unchartered waters- It’s mind-blowing to even try to imagine the different narratives, approaches and themes that the writers will want to pursue as concerning the girl child. The writing needs and important aspects of developing these narratives will also be discussed. This is a three day meeting that will redefine and determine the future of the girl child narrative in the literary terrain on the African continent- this conference is where the future will be written.

And there’s fun too- Yes, we like to work and play too. There will be networking opportunities amidst refreshments, stories, games, sharing of personal journeys and lots of laughter. And since one of the objectives of AWDT is the sharing of creative ideas, thoughts and concepts, we believe that the networks formed at the conference will develop into long-term collaborations.

So see you there and let’s redefine the girl child narrative. You can click here to register and reserve a seat.

Written by Edith Knight,
Kenya