African Literature
Exhibit curated by Shiferaw Assefa.
Swahili Literature
- Swahili Literature Through the CenturiesThis exhibit highlights representative works of Swahili literature from the collection of the University of Kansas Libraries. It features examples of various literary genres that comprise the most notable items in the Swahili collection. These include biographical and autobiographical works, drama, fiction, poetry, and works translated into Swahili. Also featured are the writings of Shaaban Robert (1909-1962), Tanzania’s most well-known literary figure, and examples of the interconnections between language and politics.
Exhibit curated by Ken Lohrentz.
Onitsha Market Literature
- Onitsha Market Literature
The Onitsha collection at KU consists of an array of popular literature collected in 1966 by Thomas R. Buckman, former KU Director of Libraries. Buckman described the works as representing “a unique form of popular literature in Africa” that reflected “the serious concerns and social tensions of many of the people” in newly-independent Nigeria. [3] Many pamphlets were handbooks offering advice in the face of adversity--grave or light (Trust No-Body in Time Because Human Being Is Trickish and Difficult). Much of the literature focuses on love relationships and illustrates a moral as the drama ends in disaster (About the Husband and Wife Who Hate Themselves). Some of the booklets detail trials and tribulations that a protagonist must overcome to achieve success in the fast-paced urban environment of West Africa (No Condition is Permanent). Buckman noted that the popularity of the works, often for sale at about $.35 a copy, was evidence of "the great thirst for general reading matter among the growing literate population."[4]
Exhibit curated by Ken Lohrentz.
