Thanks
That’s all we have time for. Thanks everyone for your questions, and especially to Namwali, Elnathan, FT Kola, Segun and Masande for taking the time to take part – it’s been a great discussion.
The winner of the Caine Prize will be announced on Monday 6 July.
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From Twitter
We’ve had great input into the debate from Twitter. From questions about representing Africa, to romance, wizardry and the ethics of photocopying books.
Defining African fiction:
Hey, @GuardianAfrica! As @hystericalblkns asks, "Why is this (always) THE question?" Why must African literature be defined?
— Aaron Bady (@zunguzungu) July 3, 2015
@GuardianAfrica - when will this question tire? Fifty years and more and there is no answer? Sigh. - @bwesigye
— #Writivism2015 (@Writivism) July 3, 2015
Love:
@guardian @elnathan is known for satire and intellectual humour.. would u venture into romantic fiction?
— ireti bakare-yusuf (@sisiogelagos) July 3, 2015
I don't know anything about romance. So far I have failed woefully at it. I try to write what I know. :) https://t.co/XbxwtRQdZ1
— Elnathan John (@elnathan) July 3, 2015
African Hogwarts?
Loving the speculation about what an African Hogwarts would be like on @GuardianAfrica webchat RN: http://t.co/OkRULqFpd8
— Beulah Maud Devaney (@TheNotoriousBMD) July 3, 2015
Boko Haram and student photocopies:
@guardian @naijama @GuardianAfrica @elnathan why are there not enough books about Boko Haram written by Nigerians?
— Imam Imam (@imamdimam) July 3, 2015
@imamdimam @guardian @naijama @GuardianAfrica Actually, there is a fabulous book on Boko Haram with several Nigerian contributors.
— Lola Shoneyin (@lolashoneyin) July 3, 2015
@lolashoneyin @imamdimam @guardian @naijama @GuardianAfrica There is one titled "The Paradox of Boko Haram". I forgot the author's name.
— Ahmed Rufai (@Sir_Ruffy) July 3, 2015
@Sir_Ruffy @lolashoneyin @imamdimam @guardian @naijama @GuardianAfrica I remember I borrowed that book from you, I think I made a photocopy
— Mallam Aremu (@aremulateef1) July 3, 2015
@aremulateef1 @Sir_Ruffy @imamdimam @guardian @naijama @GuardianAfrica You photocopied the book?
— Lola Shoneyin (@lolashoneyin) July 3, 2015
@lolashoneyin @Sir_Ruffy @imamdimam @guardian @naijama @GuardianAfrica yes ma'am, we were undergraduates then.
— Mallam Aremu (@aremulateef1) July 3, 2015
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To each of the writers
Guardian contributor Thanks Mr Tibs - I was drawn to the issue of faith healing on several counts including the disappoint of people, post-revival, whose conditions haven’t improved, and also the tremendous amounts wealth amassed by the pastors who minister to these people - the dichotomy there and the possibility of deep disappointment (or being able to rationalise or even blame oneself because of a lack of faith). And yes, a significant amount of research (but I also go to church from time to time).
Guardian contributor Hi Mr Tibs, thank you for taking the time to read our stories and to ask such thoughtful questions! I'm glad the awkwardness comes through in the story - part of my project was to evoke several types of social discomfort and awkwardness, and hopefully to make the reader feel them too.. One type is of course the awkwardness that the greater political situation (occurring in the background) brings about. These are people that are just not comfortable with one another, and they have to talk politely around Apartheid and what it means. But the other is just the very mundane awkwardness of going to a party where you don't know anyone. I wanted the Colonel's wife to be feeling both, and for the two to merge and mingle within her. So part of the writing process for her character was just thinking about all the times I've been to parties and felt awkward, and part of it was imagining the heightened anxiety that engagement between racial groups during Apartheid would cause. For that, I relied on stories from my parents and older relatives. It was then easy to draw the Colonel's wife's focus inwards, into her interior, but of course she simply finds more worries there.
MrTibs, I'm interested in what you think. Do you find that narrative delay and shifts in perspective are true to life, or distinctly fictional techniques? Do you think they produce a different experience than one would get from interacting with a group of new people? Does time work differently in life, fiction, and dream? Or are they all versions on a continuum?
Guardian contributor I was drawn to the age because I wanted to evoke a visceral and physical memory of Bhisho, in which I'd spent some of my childhood years. In writing, I often associate childhood memory with the senses and adult memory with language. I wanted the story to be immersive--to feel more like an experience than a linear narrative.
Their relationships provide a focal point for the larger social changes that the grey man foreshadows insofar as both of them--the group of boys and the country--experience an opening into something unknown: the end of childhood on the one hand, and the end of apartheid--or the shifting of history--on the other.
The link in the narrator's personal discovery of sexuality and the country's re-discovery of the implications and consequences of sex was fortuitous.
Guardian contributor What connection if any, do you think there is between Tachio's dream life and the revelations he makes from reading the refuge home's records about the histories of the other children? I'm curious.
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Taking a stand
I appreciate that in any stable society literature can and sometimes should, steer clear of other issues. However the group called ISIL/ISIS/Daesh (along with the demented BBC's preferred name of Islamic State), Boko Haram and al-Qaeada are between them encroaching ever more on Africa with the intention of destroying art, literature and learning. My question to the panel would be: Is now the appropriate time for famous African authors to take a stand? Hhow many books has each of the panel written to date that seeking to point out the path of reason.? How many more such do they plan to write?
Corrigenda, I appreciate that in any stable society, literature can and sometimes should steer clear of other issues. However the group called Wall Street, Dylann Roof, and police departments across the United States are between them encroaching ever more on America with the intention of destroying art, literature, and learning. My question to you would be: Is now the appropriate time for famous American authors to take a stand? How many books have American authors written to date that seek to point out the path of reason? How many books of that kind have YOU written to date? How many more such do YOU plan to write?
Top 5 African novels to read
For a Westerner who would like to discover African literature, what 5 classic and/or contemporary African novels would you recommend to read? What is your favourite African novel or writer?
Guardian contributor Five contemporary (South) African novels I would recommend:
1. High Low in-Between by Imraan Coovadia
2. Tales of the Metric System by Imraan Coovadia
3. The Restless Supermarket by Ivan Vladislavic
4. Penumbra by Songeziwe Mahlangu
5. Laduma by AK Thembeka
I don't have a favourite.
Inspiration for change
Do you believe your books will be an inspiration for change in your own respective countries? Or are you happy with the current status quo and would your books reflect either of these spectrum's if i chose to pick one up?
Guardian contributor My aim was to write a good story, rather than to exercise social change through writing. When writing, I was only thinking about writing as a craft, and of the characters in my story, and on telling a story that would evoke a certain impression or atmosphere or feeling. To be perfectly honest, I think this is what concerns most fiction writers, African or otherwise.
Hauntings and trolling...
What is the best course of action to take when one is being haunted by a ghost? And no I don't mean the way Africa is haunted by the ghosts of imperialism. I mean an actual literal ghost. How do I determine if my ghost is malicious or benevolent?
Mildred_Hubble, what is the best course of action to take when one's Guardian coQ&A is haunted by one assiduous but tonally wily commenter? And no I don't mean the way the Guardian website is haunted by internet trolls. I mean an actual, interesting, curious person whose comments vacillate between all seriousness and total irony? How do I determine if my ghost is malicious or benevolent?
Guardian contributor Great question. I'm glad you made it here for the chat. My mother once told me, when I was afraid to stay alone in a house we had recently moved to - twice the size of the previous one - if there really was a ghost, I could do nothing to run away from it anyway. "Ka tsaya ku yi dialogue kawai," she said. Meaning, just face it and dialogue.
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Touché
Creative writing classes - good or bad?
University jobs teaching creative writing - Are there many in Africa? Are they good or bad for writing?
Guardian contributor There aren't enough in South Africa.
I don't think it's possible for writing programs to be bad for writing.
Guardian contributor Hi Petepetepete - Jobs or MFAs? Can't answer about the jobs in Africa, but there are lots of online or low-residency MFAs you can do without leaving home - a good one is the MFA in Creative Writing at The University of British Columbia (Canada). Good or bad for one's? Depends what you want out of it and how you use it, and also how well it's run.
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Structure and timing
How do you think about time when you structure your stories? Do your decisions about time and structure relate to the larger political/historical realities your stories gesture to?
Guardian contributor This was something I struggled with and I'm still not sure I got it right. The actual time that passes in my story is a single evening, but within that there are flashbacks to the past and suggestions of the future. As far as gesturing to the larger political and historical realities, I was trying to bring to the story all the weight that the past would bring to bear on this particular evening. So that is echoed somewhat in the structure.
Africa and the diaspora
Guardian contributor Guardian contributor I have not lived in South Africa since I was a small child. That's an interesting question, because the remit of the Caine Prize encompasses both those in Africa and the African diaspora.
Greece
But what about Greece?
Yeah. Why, after more than 40 years of "aid" is Africa still an economic basket case with much of the population of several countries continually falling in to famine and starvation?
Recte_Erras, why after centuries of being the seat of civilization, the origin of democracy, and the birthplace of theater, is Greece an economic basket case?
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Do your books start debate?
I am sorry to say that I have not read any of your books, but it is good to hear about you. I am a fan of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. So I will be looking out for your books.
here my questions:
Do the national curriculums in your countries include the reading of your works in school? And if so, do you think that your writing sparks debates?
Guardian contributor No, but my debut novel, The Reactive, was only released in October last year, so perhaps it's too early to say.
My story, Space, however, has been prescribed as a text at the University of Cape Town and at a college in San Bruno, California.
I would like to imagine that my writing encourages debate.
Race and colonialism
Is it possible to write a great African novel that ignores issues of race/ colonialism? Do you think such a novel would find it harder to achieve international popularity/ acclaim?
Guardian contributor I think this would depend on what's meant by great, the particular perimeters set aside for the project. If we take on the conventional understanding of the word, however (or at least as far as my own experiences will let me) I can't recall any novel evaluated as great that doesn't take on as considerations either the human experience or history of its region.
Guardian contributor I think all writing is informed and coloured by the political realities of its setting. I don't think good writing, especially writing focused on place, can totally ignore its political history. Even if it is not explicitly dealt with, its traces will be present. So in a sense, no.
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More on magic
If you had a magical ability (different from a superpower, obviously) what would it be and do you think there would be consequences that went along with using it?
Guardian contributor Probably to eradicate the destructive gene in humans that seems to constantly rear its ugly head despite the so-called lessons of history - the world wars, Biafra, Vietnam...
A writer, full stop
What would you say is the ratio of questions you get about "African writing" or being an "African writer" to the number of questions you get about your own, individual writing? Or just about being a writer, full-stop? And what, in your opinion, could a publication like The Guardian have done to correct this disparity?
Guardian contributor I'd say it's 50/50, so far. I'm not a Caine Prize veteran like Segun, Elnathan and Namwali but I've noticed that at readings the questions from those who have heard and read the stories tend to be about the writing. Journalists tend to be more interested in questions about African writing and being an African writer.
An African school of witchcraft and wizardry...
If there were an African school of witchcraft and wizardry, what do you think would be its main pedagogical challenges? Would it be able to escape the spectre of colonialism in negotiating its relationship with the non-wizarding population of the continent?
Guardian contributor I very much wish I could hear J.K. Rowling’s definitive view on this intriguing question. In her absence I can only speculate. I guess I have more questions arising out of this question than answers: it’d be interesting to know what the history of African schools of witchcraft and wizardry (I’m going to go ahead and assume there’s at least one, perhaps they are regional?) is in regards to colonialism. Were they colonial institutions, or did they predate colonialism? Were they affected by it? Since we know that the British government, for one, is at least partly aware of its own wizarding population, I’m assuming it must’ve been historically aware of the wizarding populations of British colonies in Africa… so how far were those populations, if at all, utilized politically during colonial and even post-colonial periods? I’d also like to know if at these African schools there are local versions of Malfoys, who do not believe that “mudbloods” or non-wizards should be allowed to attend, and those notions of inferiority would of course echo certain aspects colonial history. Your interesting question just raises a lot more.
Mildred_Hubble, what do you think of the Orcs in Tolkien? Do you think they escape the spectre of racialized hierarchy inherent to colonialism?
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The most annoying question?
What's the most annoying question you're most frequently asked by non-Africans?
Guardian contributor
Speaking for a continent?
Why do you think you are being treated as political spokespeople for your entire continent? Does this say something about the multiple responsibilities thrust upon African writers, or just about the readership of the Guardian? What topics would you prefer to be considered a spokesperson for?
Guardian contributor I don't feel like I'm being treated as a political spokesperson for the African continent, but if I understand your question correctly, my response would veer closer to the second option you provide about readership. The West reserves its own definition of Africa in its cultural imagination, and perhaps its more effective to interrogate the subject of that gaze as opposed to its object(s).
Regarding more suitable topics, for me writing, or art in general, is more an act of questioning and exploration, and as a result, in general, I would tend to avoid taking on the post of being a spokesperson for a particular subject.
Guardian contributor I would prefer not to be a spokesperson at all. Whether for Africa or African writing. I make a little exception for Nigerian jollof rice, which I find infinitely superior to jollof from other parts of Africa, especially Ghana.
thegumbucketowl, why do you think your question is being treated as a top comment for this entire Guardian Q&A? Does this say something about the multiple responsibilities thrust upon Guardian commentors, or just about the readership of the Guardian? What topics would you prefer to comment on?
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The best African sci-fi?
What's the best African science fiction and/or fantasy? Is it influenced by western scifi or does it have a uniquely African flavour (in the same sense that there are distinct differences between European and U.S. scifi)
Guardian contributor Hi Denis! African sci-fi and fantasy is still something I'm discovering for myself, but I can recommend to you two books that I have really loved. One is Sofia Samatar's 'A Stranger in Olondria', which is more traditional fantasy. Another is Nnedi Okorafor's 'Lagoon', which explores that idea of what would happen if aliens landed not in London or New York but in Lagos. There is also 'Dark Matter', an anthology series of sci-fi, fantasy and horror specifically for African writers, which is pretty excellent. From my reading, both these books draw on on a range on influences, including Western sci-fi and fantasy. Someone who has read more broadly than I might be able to comment whether African sci-fi has its own distinct style, as with European and U.S. sci-fi, but I think this is a really interesting question.
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Style, form and content
Are there typical regional differences in style, form and/or content across the continent?
Guardian contributor Interesting question, although I can't say for sure.
In my experience, South Africa does tend to have a predilection for the third-person present tense, for example, but I can't point to much more than that.
I'll think about it.
How do you feel about the level of status the Caine Prize occupies in western conversations about African lit? Are there other literary institutions or people working to enrich literary communities in Africa to whom you'd like to give a recognition boost?
Guardian contributor I feel fine regarding the status held by the Caine Prize, but at the same time, I can't say that I'm involved enough in the Western conversations you've mentioned about African literature, since, being from South Africa, that isn't my context.
The Etisalat Prize is another institution that I would recommend.
Guardian contributor I would hope that the Caine prize represents an entryway into reading more writing from Africa, rather than the definitive and final word on what writing is coming from Africa.
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The groundswell of creativity
@GuardianAfrica ...how exciting do you find the groundswell of creativity in Africa and how much is your writing influenced by it? #qanda
— Gail F (@MuvaF) July 2, 2015
Masande Ntshanga: To speak about South Africa in particular, there does seem to be a shift towards becoming more vocal and creative amongst the younger population. The drive behind this isn’t always pleasant, however, as it can arise as much from an increased form of access as it would from disaffection or increased marginalisation.
Having said that, the country does have a growing population of young people who are engaged in finding new ways of interacting with – as well as defining – their environment; and not only in terms of creativity, either, but also in regards to social politics. I draw inspiration from that.
Hi everyone, just to let you know that we’re nearly ready to begin. There have been lots of excellent questions, so we’ll try to get to as many as we can in the next hour.
The panel
The panel will join us in an hour and in the meantime here’s a bit more about them. Please feel free to direct your questions directly at individual writers, or for the group as a whole.
Segun Afolabi, Nigeria, for The Folded Leaf
Segun Afolabi was born in Kaduna, Nigeria, and grew up in Canada, the Congo, Indonesia, Germany and Hong Kong. His first novel, Goodbye Lucille, was published in 2007 and won the Authors’ Club best first novel award. Afolabi was awarded the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2005. He lives in London.
Elnathan John, Nigeria, for Flying
Elnathan John is a full-time writer who lives and works in Nigeria. He writes political satire for a local newspaper and his blog – for which he hopes to someday be arrested and get famous. He has tried hard, but has never won anything. His first novel will be published by Cassava Republic Press in 2015.
FT Kola, South Africa, for A Party for the Colonel
FT Kola was born in South Africa, grew up in Australia, and lived in London and New York before pursuing an MFA at the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Austin, where she is a fellow in fiction. A Party For The Colonel is her first published story.
Masande Ntshanga, South Africa, for Space
Masande Ntshanga is the winner of the 2013 Pen International new voices award. He was born in East London, South Africa, in 1986 and grew up between Mdantsane, Zeleni, Bhisho, King William’s Town, Estcourt, Maritzburg and Cape Town. His debut novel, The Reactive, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House.
Namwali Serpell, Zambia, for The Sack
Namwali Serpell was born in Zambia in 1980. Her first published story, Muzungu, was selected for the Best American Short Stories 2009 and shortlisted for the 2010 Caine prize for African Writing. She is an associate professor in English at the University of California; her first book of literary criticism, Seven Modes of Uncertainty, was published in 2014.
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What does it mean to be an African writer?
Think African literature and who springs to mind? Chinua Achebe, “the father of modern African literature”? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the writer whose voice was famously sampled in Beyoncé’s Flawless and recently sparked nationwide discussion on sexism in Nigeria.
But who else? Despite the talent of and calibre of African writers, most struggle to get the international recognition they deserve. The Caine Prize, now in its 16th year, seeks to remedy this with an annual celebration of the continent’s best writers.
Focused on short-stories the accolade has been awarded to some of the most prominent names from the continent today, including Kenya’s Binyavanga Wainaina, Sierra Leone’s Olufemi Terry and Zimbabwe’s NoViolet Bulawayo.
But why do African writers struggle to get noticed? Is the “African literature” grouping a help or hindrance? What, if anything, links these writers together? Is there really such as “African literature”?
We’ve asked the five shortlisted writers from this year’s Caine prize – Segun Afolabi, Elnathan John, FT Kola, Masande Ntshanga and Namwali Serpell – to join our panel to discuss these questions; offer tips for budding writers and talk about their work.
Any questions?
They’ll join us live on Friday 3 July March between 12.30-1.30pm BST, post your questions in the comments below or tweet them at @GuardianAfrica
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I have a question for each of the authors regarding their individual stories, if they wouldn't mind talking a little bit about them.
Segun Afolabi: What drew you to the topic of religious revivals and faith healers like Daddy Cool? Did you do any first-hand research on the subject?
Namwali Serpell: I'm so interested in the point-of-view shifts in "The Sack," and how you hold off on revealing the complicated relationship between J. and his bwana until the very end. Could you talk about how you arrived at this structure for the story?
FT Kola: You do such a great job of evoking the awkwardness the Colonel's wife feels at the party, trying to navigate both her husband's excessive pride and her discomfort with her surroundings. I'd love to hear about how you captured such a rich, complicated depiction of her social distress.
Elnathan John: I'm most interested in the resurrections in the story, both for Aunt Keturah in the end, and for Tachio as he considers what his old life must have been like to end up in the refuge home. Could you speak to the connections between Tachio's dream life and the revelations he make from reading the refuge home's records about the histories of the other children?
Masande Ntshanga: One of the things the story foregrounds is the adolescent sexuality of the boys -- developing just as they enter an era in which sex takes on new consequences. What drew you to focusing on young men of this age, and how do their relationships provide a focal point for the larger social changes that the grey man foreshadows?
Thank you all!