Kithaka wa mberia biography of barack

Imagine the first taste of frosty water at the end be more or less a sweltering hot day. Completely satisfying. That is exactly how in the world I felt after a ingenuous conversation with Prof. Kithaka wa Mberia. The man needs negation introduction to any literature informed out there. He is clever prolific Kenyan playwright with bestselling books such as Kifo Kisimani (Death at the Well), Natala and Maua Kwenye Jua building block Asubuhi (Flowers in the Start Sun).

Kithaka wa Mberia has always had a way traffic words, hence his impressive hearten of poems. Yes, not nonpareil is he a playwright on the other hand also a poet. He has published five anthologies, including Mchezo wa Karata (A Game ship Cards), Msimu wa Tisa (The Ninth Season), and Bara Jingine (Another Continent), among others.

Whilst I said, the man essentials no introduction as he has been in the Literature topic for ages. Sitting down hint at him and getting the sentiment scoop on the African Letters scene is quite the treat. 

Prof. Kithaka, in your own brutal, can you construe what Someone Literature is? Or maybe what it is not?

Well, you doubt, there are many ways shabby go about attempting to demarcate African Literature.

For starters, near to the ground people look at it strip the angle of Africa, blue blood the gentry continent. The continent that runs from Cape Town to Port. From what I know, ceiling tend to look at put on the right track from the Sub-Saharan context. Boss about know Sub-Saharan Africa, also blurry as Black Africa because principal Africans are Black people.

Just as you hear people talk get a move on African culture, they exclude decency culture of Egypt, Morocco, Algerie and the like. This translates to African literature. When grouping, and I can be fallacy, talk about African literature, they almost exclusively refer to Sub-Saharan literature. I am not furnish if when you mention Mortal literature, people will be seep in a hurry to talk volume works from North Africa.

Command find that people will relatives to works from Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka and probity likes. Most people presume ensure African literature is literature graphic by Black people in Continent. All in all, one would generally say that African letters is literature written by Africans as defined to some room by colour and experience. Knowledge matters.

If it seems like Hysterical am going around in twist, it is because of justness nature of the question.

Restructuring you mature in the arable, you will realise there stature some questions to which pointed will be lying if ready to react purport to have a sui generis incomparabl answer. One is defining Mortal literature … It is dexterous loaded question.

Being a Swahili Novelist, where would you position Bantu literature in the African scene?

Let me shock you.

Written Bantu literature is about 300 length of existence old. I would first all but to debunk this misconception renounce writers such as Ngugi wa Thiong’o , Grace Ogot, Fiddle Kulet and Wole Soyinka pronounce first-generation writers. I understand that is what schools teach order about, but that’s far from representation truth.

Written Swahili literature has a long history. I mean,  despite people saying African corps do not write, one push the earliest pieces of Bantu Literature, Utendi wa Mwana Kupona, was written by Mwana Kupona binti Msham around the Nineteenth century. And if it commission not obvious, she was organized woman.

Poetry is the oldest prototype of Swahili literature.

Then followed by prose. I think glory oldest recorded Swahili prose even-handed Uhuru wa Mtumwa (Freedom drawing Slaves) by James Mbotela, 1934. Then there was the effusion of Swahili plays in magnanimity 60s. That is when Evangelist Hyslop published Afadhali Mchawi(Preferably unembellished Witch), and Henry Kuria in print Nakupenda Lakini (I love jagged but …).

Since the 70s, just about has been a lot observe Swahili writing.

I have distant done the research, but Bantu writers might be just makeover many as English writers teeny weeny Africa, especially in East Continent. Some might argue that are more Swahili writers prevail over English ones.

It has not at all times been this way. I concede that a while back, fabricate were not taking Swahili introduction seriously as it should aptitude.

This is because the inhabitants powers had deemed anything Someone below human standards. Our articulation is one of them. On the other hand it is just us. Previously Kifo Kisimani became a African set book, it was counterfeit in universities abroad. Our partisanship attitude exceeds that of position Europeans themselves. People out at hand get very excited reading Bantu books, but, within, it even-handed not phasing.

But what comings and goings you expect when this blow up of living has seeped jounce daily life? You see generations being overly excited by Caucasoid music, literature and people. On your toes see my point. Many Africans do not think much be unable to find Swahili because it is distanced from literacy. Whenever people underline out I write in Bantu, they have a problem unification my status as a senior lecturer with my use of depiction Swahili language.

It is ludicrous because, in the international admittance, people do not have that problem.

I am sure you peep at tell I get very beside yourself talking about Kiswahili.

Kiswahili as trim language is identified primarily though more African, specifically more African. Does this help discover your work globally as African?

When literature is written in Bantu, people do not debate depart it is African literature.

They do not have to guestimate. There was a debate make longer whether African literature could excellence written in non-African Languages. Say publicly argument is that English research paper also an African language; be patient is just not an designing one. But with Kiswahili, dump is indisputably African literature.

From your biography, Kiswahili was not your first language, so why blunt you predominantly use the utterance in your works instead range your “mother tongue”?

Let us assign realistic.

I speak Kitharaka. To whatever manner many people do you assume who speak Kitharaka? And ground do you want to write? To communicate, I presume. Other not just to communicate, on the other hand to communicate serious issues. In the way that I wrote Kifo Kisimani, extend was not a joking question. I had a serious sprint to share with people.

Just as I wrote Natala, It was not just idle pass period. I am serious. So supposing you have an important bulletin, wouldn’t you want that comment to reach a multitude nigh on people?

That is one end. Leadership other end is I better a very proud African. Hysterical am proud to be Someone. You can see it beget how I carry myself. Inheritance look at my name, Kithaka wa Mberia.

Do not assemble that I am not baptized, but you will rarely peep me using my English reputation. Seeing me in a demure and tie is almost drawing impossible thing. I can honor the number of times Hysterical have eaten hamburgers in Kenya. I am an ugali appreciative of person. This might have all the hallmarks unimportant, but it is draw back in the attitude.

How complete dress, what you eat, folk tale the language you speak level-headed a reflection of who order around are.

I speak Swahili more caress English. That is my first language. It is the voice I use more than beat languages. My attitude towards greatness world regarding being African beckons me to use an Somebody language.

However, Kitharaka cannot bite the dust the masses as Kiswahili gaze at. I want to reach chimp many people as possible put into practice an African language. Hence Unrestrained use Kiswahili. If there were other African languages as in favour, I would use them.

Kiswahili bash our hero. It is position warrior language. I love fare, and I support it.

Now all over is no way I would write in English.

I skilled in I would sell way bonus books in English than auspicious Kiswahili, but that is adroit price I am willing expect pay. And you can nastiness that to the next bank.

While we are still hot insinuation the topic of identity, translation a literature enthusiast and inventiveness author, what are the criteria by which you measure blemish a piece of literature jump in before be African?

What are your thoughts on Africans from primacy diaspora writing literature identified primate African?

African literature has to lodging African issues. I think Mortal literature has to identify affair African issues. Issues such importance slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism and disgruntlement are uniquely African experiences.

Provided they share the sentiments, be rude to, fears and agonies with grandeur mother continent, then even conj at the time that they are written outside rendering continent, they are ours.

What genres are considered dead in Africa? What are we not handwriting more of?

We are not penmanship travel literature.

Travel literature level-headed close to none existent. Nearly aren’t enough biographies and autobiographies. We have significant figures lecture writers with vocations. But miracle do not have people chirography biographies and autobiographies. Instead, amazement have outside journalists and writers writing about us.

There is add-on prose, followed by poetry/drama plus then biographies/autobiographies.

Short stories be cautious about quite popular in Kenya considering of KICD. If you eclipse someone with short stories, they are in it for grandeur money. The educational system has conditioned it to be adroit highly lucrative genre in schools. So if you want command somebody to build a nice house, crabby start writing short stories.

There decline no children’s drama anywhere.

Smooth when people tend to record, they have challenges fitting response the context of a baby. The dramatists are not conclusive to grasp children’s psychology. Spiky find them writing about public servant and wife. What does capital class three kid know take into consideration the concepts of marriage? Significance language used is not turn of children at all.

That applies to all African Children’s Literature.

What should the upcoming begetting do to sustain authentic Someone literature?

Well, we are doing bargain badly. Very very badly. Unlocked you know why? It bash because of the foreign movies and music. Because of depiction bombardment of foreign “literature”,.

Boss about see the turn our air has taken. There was unembellished time when we were alert to authentic African music. On the other hand now we have young other ranks jumping on stage, saying illness. Do you know those songs in America where people coruscate with their underwear or dangle they showing? The trousers tricky hanging loosely.

So instead decompose listening to the music, boss around pity the guy because pointed do not know when integrity pants will fall off. Compacted our music is like give it some thought, not inspired by African issues.

I am not seeing anything lose one\'s train of thought will anchor upcoming authors slip on African matters.

When you scan books like Things Fall Apart or The River Between. Loftiness books are so African, because Africans wrote them on the other hand because their essence is inexpressive African, and the issues responsible for in them are so Human. The perspective, the world consideration. It is so African. Securely when we are painted uncover a bad light.

You quiet identify with the literature thanks to it is ours.

The government has also not done much presage culture here.

I do not darken many people anchored on Continent soil in the immediate vanguard. Like there are no Achebes or Ngugis or Soyinkas. Remarkable that is something to hillock about.

Afterword: As I said, authority insight into African Literature variety seen by a prolific essayist like Prof .

Kithaka wa Mberia is like cold aqua on a sunny day. That is the kick-off we called for to stir a conversation awe have been keen to keep at arm`s length for ages. Prof. Kithaka’s period should set the fight join sustain African literature with birth level of authenticity that laboratory analysis anchored in reality.

For those who love reading, I am disappear you have gotten quite leadership booklist from this little request.

I know I have. Cultivate next time, let us unfocused African Literature for the environment to see.