In The Standard the Bookworm-column wonders: is the Caine Prize stifling African literature ? -- that being the Caine Prize for African Writing, the leading African story-prize.
Some reasonable points here (to which I'll add that by 'African' nearly everyone seems to mean or just think of 'sub-Saharan Africa'; and also that, for all its pan-African efforts, the Caine Prize only attracted entries from 20 African countries in its first year (2000) and yet has done even worse recently: there were entries from a mere 14 countries in 2012, and 16 in 2013; 'Africa' begins to look mighty small here ...).
I'm not so sure about the argument:
Still, I agree that there's a pernicious effect from outside, as far too many African writers (and would-be writers) aim to please especially US/UK publishers and readers, seeing that as the measure of success (an issue with writing from many other areas of the world, too). Similarly, and frustratingly, US/UK publishers don't show much interest in much that might be considered local writing (i.e. not written with an (ignorant-of-the-local (traditions, literature, history, etc.)) 'international' audience constantly in mind) from Africa -- or, indeed, from (m)any localities on all the other continents too (especially if, god forbid, it's originally written in a foreign language ...). Somehow Ayi Kwei Armah's (The Healers, etc.) career-path -- American schooling, first publication (and relative stardom) in the US, and then a conscious move back to Africa (and also into publishing, with Per Ankh), resulting in pretty much his being completely forgotten and his books barely finding US/UK readers any longer and he certainly not figuring in current 'world literature' discussions ... -- doesn't seem to be one many want to follow.
But, yes, I think for the Caine Prize to announce its winner -- as it does -- at a dinner in Oxford is simply silly (and, yes, it sends a very bad signal).
Some reasonable points here (to which I'll add that by 'African' nearly everyone seems to mean or just think of 'sub-Saharan Africa'; and also that, for all its pan-African efforts, the Caine Prize only attracted entries from 20 African countries in its first year (2000) and yet has done even worse recently: there were entries from a mere 14 countries in 2012, and 16 in 2013; 'Africa' begins to look mighty small here ...).
I'm not so sure about the argument:
I am yet to see an international prize "for European writing" or "for American writing." The label -- African writer -- largely reflects on the consumers of "African" or "post-colonial" literatures.True, the there are few continents whose nations (and literatures) get lumped together like Africa's do, but many national/local prizes do emphasize localness much the same way -- so, for example, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is for writing that pertains " to the South Asian region in terms of content and theme" (though that can be considered a (colonial-)outsider-gaze view too...) Don't forget that they spell out that the Pulitzer prize for fiction is: "For distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life" (whatever the hell that might be ...).
Still, I agree that there's a pernicious effect from outside, as far too many African writers (and would-be writers) aim to please especially US/UK publishers and readers, seeing that as the measure of success (an issue with writing from many other areas of the world, too). Similarly, and frustratingly, US/UK publishers don't show much interest in much that might be considered local writing (i.e. not written with an (ignorant-of-the-local (traditions, literature, history, etc.)) 'international' audience constantly in mind) from Africa -- or, indeed, from (m)any localities on all the other continents too (especially if, god forbid, it's originally written in a foreign language ...). Somehow Ayi Kwei Armah's (The Healers, etc.) career-path -- American schooling, first publication (and relative stardom) in the US, and then a conscious move back to Africa (and also into publishing, with Per Ankh), resulting in pretty much his being completely forgotten and his books barely finding US/UK readers any longer and he certainly not figuring in current 'world literature' discussions ... -- doesn't seem to be one many want to follow.
But, yes, I think for the Caine Prize to announce its winner -- as it does -- at a dinner in Oxford is simply silly (and, yes, it sends a very bad signal).