Strategic Transformations in Nigerian Writing

By Ato Quayson

Subjects: Oral tradition--nigeria, Knowledge, Literature and history--nigeria--history, Historiography--nigeria, Oral tradition, Knowledge--folkloreokri, ben, Literature and history--history, Nigerian literature, Literature and history, Johnson, samuel , -1901, Historiography, Knowledge--folkloresoyinka, wole, Literature and folklore, History and criticism, Literature and folklore--nigeria--history, Nigerian literature (English), Yoruba (african people)--historiography, Nigeria, history, Nigerian Literature, Knowledge--folkloretutuola, amos, Soyinka, wole, 1934-, 820.9/9669, Yoruba (African people), Folklore, Pr9387 .q39 1997, Nigerian literature (english)--history and criticism, Literature and folklore--history, Yoruba (african people), Tutuola, amos, 1920-1997

Description: This is an innovative and original study which offers a new perspective on a Nigerian literary tradition. The author takes issue with the prevalent use of "oral tradition" in the criticism of Europhone written literature as a kind of cultural matrix out of which the written text emerged, and the essence of which it embodies. He proposes instead a view of literary tradition as the outcome of numerous, and varied, strategic acts of positioning in relation to indigenous resources — which vary according to the individual writer's project but also according to the larger social and political context. He constructs a historical framework in which to view these strategies as performed by Samuel Johnson in _The History of the Yorubas_ (1921 [1897]), Amos Tutuola (1950s), Soyinka (1960s and 70s) and Ben Okri (1980s and 90s).