As Ikhide pointed out, Obi Nwakanma's opinion on "new Nigerian writing" have been recurring. What was not pointed out was that the angst expressed by Nwakanma is a reflection of the angst of the Lagos-Ibadan-Ife Literature Fraternity, which Obi Nwakanma belong to and which have been fighting to regain its pre-Internet era influence. An era in which it determined most directions of Literature productions.
I remember what I went through in 1986 without success, trying to get my first poem "Woman In The Sun" published in a national newspaper, most of which were and still based in Lagos, from my Port Harcourt base. This was after the said poem was published on "Sunday Tide" newspaper based in Port Harcourt and aired on an NTA channel 10 Port Harcourt programme "New Era" produced by Adiele Onyedibia, who also produced the film on "Thing Fall Apart". This Fraternity controlled and still controls these national newspapers.
The point here is that with the coming of the Internet era and the unsuccessful bids so far to take total control of the new medium of Literature productions and the attendant loss of influence, members of this Fraternity are always bemoaning this loss, albeit in different guises. Obi Nwakanma happens to be perhaps the most consistent and may be the loudest.
I am sure Obi Nwakanma reads and enjoys "new Nigerian writing", especially on the Internet but would not endorse them publicly, since most of them do not owe their publications to Nwakanma's Fraternity. I would be surprise if a writer, critic and Literature teacher of Obi Nwakanma's standing do not for instance, regularly drink from the new wine gourd of the young Nigerian bard Chiedu Ifeozo.
------- Chidi Anthony Opara
No comments:
Post a Comment