Ken, I will die without writing a book. I am too ashamed to publish at home (our publishing houses are mostly giant staplers), and too embarrassed to publish in the West (I am the other, they will italicize my world). As we say in my village, "it doesn't worth it!"
That is pretty much what I said on Facebook yesterday. African literature owes its prominence and survival to the West, and unlike most, I am deeply appreciative to the West and to the white man for keeping our stories alive. It has come at a huge cost though. Relying on the West to give us stature, resources and structure has been humiliating on many levels. The most important has been what's been and being lost in translation. On the other hand, what is the writer to do? Hand over a loved work to the giant staplers that call themselves publishing houses in say, Nigeria? I don't know, we may be stuck. Or maybe not. You should see the awesome works of African writers on the Internet. The Internet is fast becoming the publisher of choice for most writers of African extraction. There is hope.
Globalization has been great for us. Whoever says there is a digital divide does not know squat. Be well.
- Ikhide
Stalk my blog at www.xokigbo.com
Follow me on Twitter: @ikhide
Join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ikhide
On Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:55 PM, kenneth harrow <harrow@msu.edu> wrote:
congrats to okey.
i wish okey, or ikhide, or someone knowledgeable about the publishing industry, would give us a comment on the choice of okey to go with this press. i would like to know, at least briefly, how such a choice to opt for this press would compare with choosing a nigerian press.
i want it clear that this is not a reproach, but rather an attempt to understand better how globalization is framing these kinds of decisions.
all i gather, going to soho's website, is that it is a small, hip new press. i don't know what the options in nigeria would be; i don't know if by publishing with soho it won't be readily available in nigeria, or africa, but rather would be going for a western set of readers? are there nigerian presses being distributed here in the states that would be attractive to writers like okey?
i look forward to reading your book okey, wherever it comes out!
ken
i wish okey, or ikhide, or someone knowledgeable about the publishing industry, would give us a comment on the choice of okey to go with this press. i would like to know, at least briefly, how such a choice to opt for this press would compare with choosing a nigerian press.
i want it clear that this is not a reproach, but rather an attempt to understand better how globalization is framing these kinds of decisions.
all i gather, going to soho's website, is that it is a small, hip new press. i don't know what the options in nigeria would be; i don't know if by publishing with soho it won't be readily available in nigeria, or africa, but rather would be going for a western set of readers? are there nigerian presses being distributed here in the states that would be attractive to writers like okey?
i look forward to reading your book okey, wherever it comes out!
ken
On 10/20/13 12:07 PM, Ikhide wrote:
--- IkhideStalk my blog at www.xokigbo.comFollow me on Twitter: @ikhideJoin me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ikhide
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-- kenneth w. harrow faculty excellence advocate professor of english michigan state university department of english 619 red cedar road room C-614 wells hall east lansing, mi 48824 ph. 517 803 8839 harrow@msu.edu
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