Edward Mensah

African Writing: Why we neither read nor write--A Short Comment


Book writing, like any enterprise, must have a demand base sufficiently large to enable the write to make a living. A labor of love can only take one so far before the inability to take care of ones family forces the writer to give up. Maybe the Caucasian who speaks with American accent and others like her can help to create the  demand if they have an authentic African story to tell. It is not necessary for her to speak with Africa accent as long as she has lived in Africa for a period long enough to be immersed in the culture. If she says she is Kenyan I have no problems with that as long as her story is a true representation of the African experience.
 The author is right to say that business must be involved. This is where the various ministries of culture in Africa can get involved by providing grants to African writers and assisting in the promotion of the books. But at first the story must be worth reading for book buyers to invest their limited funds and time. And God knows African's can tell good stories. What they need is an incentive from the private sector and government.

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