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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Post-civil war novel in Igbo, 1970-1983: a retrospective assessment |
Author: | Ikonne, Chidi |
Year: | 1986 |
Periodical: | Nigeria Magazine |
Volume: | 54 |
Issue: | 4 |
Pages: | 75-82 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Nigeria |
Subjects: | Igbo novels |
Abstract: | Since the end of the Nigerian civil war in January 1970, there has been, among the Igbo, a keen interest in the revival of their cultural heritage, including language and literature. This paper argues that the novel in Igbo is passing through a period of self-consciousness. Unlike precivil-war novels in Igbo, which sought to entertain and if possible instruct, the postcivil-war Igbo novel seeks primarily to demonstrate and preserve for posterity some cherished elements of Igbo culture and language. Extracts from the prefaces of several Igbo novels (with English translations) are presented in order to show this tendency. Progressively, however, novels which are committed to the preservation of Igbo culture are now giving way to novels with a premium on entertainment. Self-consciousness disintegrates; self-confidence emerges from the dross. Notes, ref. |