A History of Neo-African Literature: Writing in Two Continents

312 Pages·1968·19.291 MB·English

by  Janheinz Jahn, Oliver Coburn, Ursula Lehrburger (trans.)

Writing in Two Continents
A History of
Neo-African Literature
JANHEINZ JAHN
Translated by Oliver Coburn
and Ursula Lehrburger
Africa’s written literature originated in
the ‘overlap’ area of three cultures: the
African, the Islamic-Arabic and the
Western. The expression ‘neo-African
literature’ means work which is heir to
two traditions, African and Western;
and this fascinating study, the first of its
kind, traces its development—primarily
in Africa and America, but also in
Europe—over more than three cen¬
turies.
The book is divided into four main
sections, the first dealing with the cul¬
tural and historical background, con¬
taining accounts of the little-known
works of writers of African descent, like
Juan Latino who wrote Latin verse in
sixteenth-century Spain and the black
‘educational guinea-pigs’ of the Age of
Enlightenment. ‘The African Scene’
has chapters on ‘oral literature’, Hausa
and Swahili writing, and ‘protest’ and
‘apprentice’ work in European and
African languages throughout the con¬
tinent; and ‘The American Scene’ deals
comprehensively with verse and prose
in Latin America and the West Indies
as well as the U.S.A.—not omitting the
Blues and the Calypso. ‘The New
Problems’ discusses recent develop¬
ments, such as the concept of Negritude.
Mr Jahn’s earlier book, Muntu^
though the subject of controversy, is
recognized as a key text in contem¬
porary discussion of neo-African cul¬
ture: the present work is indispensable.
EX LIBRIS
41 PARK^ROW, NEW YORK
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2018 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.0rg/details/historyofneoafriOOOOjahn

I
4 •xf‘
--i <
« 'W a I f * *
T‘ I ■
•• i
f
i
4‘
4
f
/
4
t
\
i
•> ■
>
\
. •*»
A HISTORY OF
NEO-AFRICAN LITERATURE
by the same author
MUNTU:
An Outline of Neo-African Culture
THROUGH AFRICAN DOORS:
Experiences and Encounters in West Africa
A History of
Neo-African Literature
Writing in Two Continents
JANHEINZ JAHN
translated from the German by
OLIVER COBURN and URSULA LEHRBURGER
FABER AND FABER LIMITED
London: 24 Russell Square
First published in 1966
as Geschichte der neoafrikanischen Literatur
by Eugen Diederichs Verlag, Dusseldorf-Koln
This translation first published in 1968
by Faber and Faber Limited
London: 24 Russell Square W.C.l
Printed in Great Britain by
Western Printing Services Ltd Bristol
All rights reserved
SBN 571 08434 6
(g) 1966 by Eugen Diederichs Verlag, Dusseldorf-Koln
This translation © 1968 Faber and Faber and Grove Press, New York