Afrikanische Literatur

In the play "More Serious Than Tears," we witness a dramatic tale filled with love, betrayal, and tragedy. Uchechukwu, a man torn between his own desires and his family's happiness, makes a fateful decision that shatters Amaka's heart. Despite his family's objections, Uchechukwu marries Cecilia, a woman who seemingly mesmerizes him. As the story unfolds, the audience is taken on a journey that exposes the manipulative nature of Cecilia. With her hypnotic charm, she ensnares Uchechukwu, ultimately leading to his demise. Through treachery and deceit, Cecilia poisons him, bringing a tragic end to their tumultuous relationship."More Serious Than Tears" delves into the complexities of human emotions, exploring themes of love, envy, and the destructive power of manipulation. The play captures the audience's attention with its intense storyline and showcases the devastating consequences of choices made in the name of love.

This is verse drama of epic proportions draped in iambic pentameter with echoes of Greek drama, commingled with entry and exit points of an omniscient narrator. In this experimental theatre, the author succeeds in an interesting innovation that merges lofty versification with straight-forward prose and histrionics such that interesting elements of Modern Theatre are brought together in an innovative way. Patrons and students of the theatre would find thought-provoking ideas of experimentation to grapple with in The Ashanti Prince. In the end the power play shifts towards a dichotomy of ethics and aesthetics.

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Rose is lied to by her mother...that she was being sent to an uncle in another village so she can go to school. Unknown to her, her mother has collected money from a devious cousin who has traded her into marriage. Rose arrives the uncle's place to discover she is now in a money marriage. The story of Rose is true. But the Money Woman movie has been modified into fiction for a viewing audience. This does not however reduce the effect of this form of menace.The book, Money Woman, not only consists of the fictional version of Rose's story but true tales from interviews conducted with:1.Dorathy from Ugbakoko II, sold to a man ten times older than her.2.Gift who was gambled for N3,500 (approx. $15) by her father.3.Mercy from Ugbakoko I who was sold to offset her mother's medical bills before she was 4 years old.4.Vivian a Becheve girl snatched from school and beaten for resisting marriage.5.Dorathy from Katele who was bought, widowed and willed.

"Much has happened to me that is worth narrating, worth celebrating, in spite of the regrets and sorrows of exile. My life began under Apartheid until I attained the age of 22, and then subsequently lived in many places and societies, in Central Africa, Britain, the United States, Poland, and during a brief sojourn, in France and, finally, in Switzerland." - Lewis Nkosi in 'Memoirs of a motherless child'This rich volume is dedicated to the astounding South African writer and literary critic Lewis Nkosi (1936-2010). In this book, Nkosi's celebrated one-act play "The Black Psychiatrist" is published together with its unpublished sequel "Flying Home," a play on the satirically fictionalized inauguration of Mandela as South African president. Critical appraisals, tributes and recollections by scholars and friends reflect on the beat of his writing and life.An ideal volume for those encountering Lewis Nkosi for the first time as well as for those already devoted to his work.

The Obi family live a charmed life, the picture of success and love. But when their only son Emeka marries a woman his parents deem unworthy, the ties that bind begin to unravel. Wealthy, happy and successful, Emeka’s world changes when he sets his eyes on Anita, a beautiful teacher who captures his heart. Though his family disapproves, Emeka is determined to make her his wife. But after what was supposed to be a brief introductory ceremony, his perfect world begins to collapse around him.Determined to build a happy life with his new bride, Emeka keeps his family at a distance. But he soon finds himself immersed in desperate schemes of his overbearing parents, which gets out of hand when he uncovers a secret that threatens to tear the family apart. Now, the Obi family members are in danger of losing everything they hold dear. The unimaginable is happening and series of events have already begun to push them into the darkest tunnels of their lives. Will they be able to weather this storm or will they be swept away by the tide?

This celebrated, indelible debut novel, by Achu 'RifleX' Ebong Mba, gives voice to both young man and young lady as they tell the story of their long-distance romance, and the forces that threaten to tear it apart. Demi and Yonas have been dating for almost six years since they met on social media. Though their families expect them to only take spouses from their respective tribes and/or country, Demi and Yonas promise each other to fight the traditions and break the mold. Eight years into their long-distance romance, after wearying and extensive battles with both Demi's family and Yonas family, their future is endangered when Yonas bails out of their pact cascading their relationship into demise. Depleted, contrite, and filled with regret, Yonas knows the only way to save their relationship and keep his promise to Demi is to go back for his beloved. But is he too late?An exhilarating novel of immeasurable emotional power, No Such Thing As Halfway asks how much we are willing to sacrifice for the sake of love or for the sake of family.

The Waiting Room and The Christmas PresentWaiting on God is an essential Christian value. Sometimes doubt creeps into our hearts and we become discouraged. Discouragement opens the door to anxiety, grief and uncertainty-these together bring about suffocation. The Waiting Room is a play that reveals a man's effort to find a greener pasture that eventually leads him to an unhealthy relationship, thereby putting his home at risk of collapse. The play also pursues a cultural theme that encourages the exploration of other cultures. The Christmas Present reminds us of how easy it is to get so wrapped up in daily duties and so-called obligations that we forget about relationships and people who need us and what we can give. All the frantic impersonal activity will someday pass away, but what we do for people in Christ's name will last forever and yield eternal results.

This open issue of African Theatre is a departure from the traditional themed format to showcase the plethora of styles, approaches and perspectives that populate the contemporary field of African theatre studies, with contributions from Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana. Focusing mainly on case studies, contributors engage a variety of performance forms, ranging from investigations into radical dramatic and popular musical performances, through "street theatre" (festivals and masquerade shows) and pop culture, to consideration of applied theatre, dance, audience, cultural performances and folktales. Articles address African American and African cultural dialogue, choreographic study and the carnivalization of indigenous African festivals. Others look at pan- Africanism and the concept of a global Africa; contesting stigmatization of disability; performance of nationality, as well as orality and African performance aesthetics.Highlighted in this volume is the playscript of the detective play The Inspector and the Hero by Femi Osofisan, one of Africa's foremost playwrights.Volume Editor: CHUKWUMA OKOYESeries Editors: Yvette Hutchison, Reader, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, University of Warwick; Chukwuma Okoye, Reader in African Theatre & Performance, University of Ibadan; Jane Plastow, Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds.

Three incarnations of women: a mother, a daughter and an old crone. A haunting of past, present and future selves. Drawing loosely on the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone, this poetic text explores the process of individuation, the inevitability of a young girl's journey into the shadow and into the unknown, of the bonds that connect mothers and children to each other, of loss and the dense beautiful soaring life that we are all traveling through.

FROM STRUGGLES AND PAINS TO HOPE AND GAINSWhat began in tragedy has become a great triumph of love, family, and purpose.Bamo Toure's story began before he was born. The heart and hopes of Diaka, his mother, were shattered when a romance ended in a cruel dismissal. Alone and pregnant, Diaka is disowned by her father. After spiraling into a deep depression, she travels from the metropolitan city of Abidjan to the rural village of Oume where she finds her calling as a teacher. Then tragedy strikes...Though Bamo loses his mother at an early age, her legacy continues, and the love for Bamo, son of Diaka, is demonstrated over his childhood as he moves from home to home, living with many mothers, proving the African adage, "It takes a village to raise a child."After growing up in Oume, Bamo leaves the Ivory Coast to continue his education in the United States. An unlikely friendship, social media fame, and the realization of his purpose brings Bamo back to Oume with resources to help the village he loves so much. The Adventures of Bamo is an emotional novel about the strength of the human spirit and the undeniable power of purpose.

It’s 2014. Grieving the loss of family members and friends killed in a plane crash, renowned megachurch pastor Priscilla Sinclair sits on her patio, prepared to take her own life. But before she can end it all, a stranger shows up at her Virginia home and changes everything. Trying to strengthen her faith, the stranger challenges Priscilla to lean on God's promises and on the examples of faith left to her by her ancestors. He tells her a story she has never heard before. The story goes back over 3,000 years, beginning with Aaron, God’s designated high priest during the Exodus, and explores the line of designated ones through the times of King David, Solomon, the exile in Babylon, the crossing of the Arabian Desert into Saba, the migration across the Red Sea into Axum, the birth of Christ, and the lives of the generations that have followed. In this thrilling journey through history, Priscilla is given a chance to go from failure to faith and live to fight another day. But will she accept the stranger's challenge?

Two Mothers and Son explores the seeming needless, perpetual conflict between wife and mother-in-law in a typical African marriage; it is set in twenty-first century Nigeria which itself is a victim of conflicting and confusing interruptions of life. The son who is at the centre of it all, is caught between two loves, both possessive and obsessive, equally important but suffocating in a most debilitating manner. Added to this is the issue of religion which attempts to resolve the crisis but inadvertently contributes to the sad resolution of the conflict.

Hundreds of years have separated Wyndel Blackman and his mother from his father's homeland in Africa. Now they have come from America to scatter his father's Ashes. What will they learn on this journey? What will they teach the people of that distant community?

"When a pen which drips woman, academic, mother, wife, teacher and administrator proposes to visit the stage, we expect the product to be as complex as the person. And we will be entirely justified in our expectation given that the stage more often than not is that place which captures and dramatizes our core selves in all their complexity. Thorns and Roses is produced by just that kind of pen. But in spite of her multi-layered identity, Frida Mbunda has succeeded in writing a play whose greatest attractions lie in its unassuming, down-to-earth appeal. It is the story of a single-parent home where a mother dedicates her life to her loving but vulnerable single daughter. As its title suggests, the play employs the allegorical archetype to colour the stage with characters and issues of immediate relevance. Womanhood is at the centre of Mbunda's dramatic quest. She knows that being a woman means being exposed to the attractions of shortcuts to happiness." - Professor George Nyamndi, novelist, playwright and literary scholar, University of Buea, Cameroon.

Following eight exhausting years working in a warzone, Lisa was burnt out and ready for a new chapter in her life—hopefully one that involved a little romance.In her forties and doubtful of ever finding true love, she meets an exotic African man who promises her happiness and the life she dreams of. Little did Lisa know that this decision would lead to heartache, a torturous legal battle and near bankruptcy.They move to Uganda, but her dreams of a happy marriage soon fade after he takes control of her life—and her life savings. As she uncovers his cruelty, the relationship becomes violent and she seeks help from the police. But not even they can be trusted, and a corrupt legal system pushes her close to death.Alone and penniless, she prepares to leave the country—but how? She is destitute and her legal status is precarious and tied up in bewildering red tape. Trapped in the terrifying depths of a lawless country with court procedures and unruly lawyers to tackle, she finds solace with unlikely strangers and is empowered by the natural beauty of the country that had become a prison. But when tragedy strikes a final blow, Lisa must break a few laws of her own to break free.