Comments on: The African Novel http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/07/26/the-african-novel/ SinĂ©ad Gleeson's blog Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:30:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Garreth http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/07/26/the-african-novel/#comment-11319 Garreth Thu, 27 Jul 2006 02:46:17 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/07/26/the-african-novel/#comment-11319 I had the pleasure of teaching Things Fall Apart to secondary school students in Zambia in the early 1990s. I also taught Alan Paton's classic about apartheid South Africa, Cry the Beloved Country. We read an autobiography by South African Ezekiel Mphalele called Down Second Avenue, based on childhood memories of Jo'burg. The only foreign text was the play called An Enemy of the People by the Swedish (?) playwright (can't remember name). Heinemann African Writers series of paperbacks were used for preparing my students for the Cambridge overseas GCE certificate. In some ways Achebe's second novel, about corruption in post-independent Nigeria, No longer at Ease, is a better focus on late twentieth-century Africa than his first one about the beginnings of colonial rule in rural 19th century Africa. I had the pleasure of teaching Things Fall Apart to secondary school students in Zambia in the early 1990s. I also taught Alan Paton’s classic about apartheid South Africa, Cry the Beloved Country. We read an autobiography by South African Ezekiel Mphalele called Down Second Avenue, based on childhood memories of Jo’burg. The only foreign text was the play called An Enemy of the People by the Swedish (?) playwright (can’t remember name). Heinemann African Writers series of paperbacks were used for preparing my students for the Cambridge overseas GCE certificate. In some ways Achebe’s second novel, about corruption in post-independent Nigeria, No longer at Ease, is a better focus on late twentieth-century Africa than his first one about the beginnings of colonial rule in rural 19th century Africa.

]]> By: Markham http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/07/26/the-african-novel/#comment-11298 Markham Wed, 26 Jul 2006 17:38:52 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/07/26/the-african-novel/#comment-11298 I've been meaning to buy that book for ages - meant to be one of the greats of African literature. Just a little hint, and it's a bit tangential, but could be a help for anyone inspired to expand their library of African novels/non-fiction in an ethical manner. Go check out www.charityshop.ie. Set up by two Irish lads, mates of mine, the site works as a portal, through which you can buy books (via Amazon) CDs (via CD Wow) and loads of other stuff. At no extra cost to you, a donation from every purchase gets routed to the charity of your choice, currently limited to Oxfam or Unicef. So before you trawl Amazon for Achebe's works, stop off at charityshop.ie . An admitted plug, but it seems like an easy way to buy the best in African novels and hopefully see some of that money actually makes it back to Africa. I’ve been meaning to buy that book for ages - meant to be one of the greats of African literature.

Just a little hint, and it’s a bit tangential, but could be a help for anyone inspired to expand their library of African novels/non-fiction in an ethical manner.

Go check out http://www.charityshop.ie.

Set up by two Irish lads, mates of mine, the site works as a portal, through which you can buy books (via Amazon) CDs (via CD Wow) and loads of other stuff.

At no extra cost to you, a donation from every purchase gets routed to the charity of your choice, currently limited to Oxfam or Unicef.

So before you trawl Amazon for Achebe’s works, stop off at charityshop.ie .

An admitted plug, but it seems like an easy way to buy the best in African novels and hopefully see some of that money actually makes it back to Africa.

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