African Writers in Exile

Chinedu Ogoke's book discusses the psychic, physical, and metaphorical exile of the African writer. Its starting point is the fact that African writers face numerous problems in their desire to be creative. In the post-colonial era, global politics and the quest for profits have led to social disorders, persecution, and worsening economic conditions in Africa. This has forced writers from the continent to move to the West in search of peace and a chance to reach a larger audience. But while the West offers improved access to publishers, exiled writers have to deal with difficult issues of language and culture in their work. Lacking the support of the traditional African family, many feel unfulfilled and simply lost in their new surroundings. Ironically, they also feel excluded from literary activities in the place they have left. African Writers in Exile traces the paths taken by these excluded artists and the implications they may have for the future of African literature. Ogoke also analyzes their arguments for economic and political reform in various African countries. At the root of these proposals is a desire to establish political structures that will remove barriers to creative pursuits while enhancing social and political progress for all in Africa.