At an "African" "literary forum," a professor of literature told me he doesn't do email, couldn't name a contemporary author besides Adichie and asked what Twitter was! This professor railed against the evils and mediocrity of the Internet and bristled with unrestrained derision at the notion that literature could be found online. Another asked me to explain YouTube. More specifically, I am beginning to worry that traditional book fairs, conferences and festivals are a cute waste of time for this generation of African writers. Most of the organizers and attendees are powerful gatekeepers who are blissfully unaware of trends in technology and the impact on literature, especially that of Africa. It is a looming tragedy. Here are some tweets I posted to share my anxieties: We have a problem.
Tweets at dawn... For you... Mukoma Wa Ngugi, Editi Effiong, and Linda Ikeji, digital pioneers and warriors who remind us daily; until the lion tells the story of the hunt, the hint will always be glorified by the hunter.
@ikhide: ... And we asked the song, "Why are you crying?"
@ikhide: The book is one-dimensional whereas social media asks the reader to join the writer in the instant call and response of online commentary.
... @ikhide: Thinkers must ask: How do people read today? How must writers adjust to the reality of a way of life, or force change to a desired state?
@ikhide: It's not enough to convert the book to an e-book and merely port it to the Internet, that would be akin to using a computer as a typewriter.
@ikhide: Let us dream of dumping today's paradigm: Our literary vision centers on the book as the primary vessel for great ideas. Fcuk that, please.
@ikhide: Many young vibrant African writers and digital lions waste their time writing books, furtively seeking affirmation. The paradigm must shift.
@ikhide: The best, most engaging and authentic African literature is on social media. Africans ignore this renaissance because the West ignores it.
@ikhide: African writers, ignore "book festivals" that attract only a few, and pay attention to social media, the biggest literary festival on earth.
@ikhide: This African does not write for the West. The West is free to listen, and google my words. I've googled theirs all my life - without Google!
@ikhide: This African does not write for the West. The West is free to listen, and google my words. I've googled theirs all my life - without Google!
- Ikhide
Stalk my blog at www.xokigbo.com
Follow me on Twitter: @ikhide
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