If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. Also useful are words such as ‘ Guerrillas’, ‘ Timeless’, ‘ Primordial’ and ‘ Tribal’. Subtitles may include the words ‘ Zanzibar’, ‘ Masai’, ‘ Zulu’, ‘ Zambezi’, ‘ Congo’, ‘ Nile’, ‘ Big’, ‘ Sky’, ‘ Shadow’, ‘ Drum’, ‘ Sun’ or ‘ Bygone’. The entire article can be found on .Īlways use the word ‘ Africa’ or ‘ Darkness’ or ‘ Safari’ in your title. This is not the Africa I know, but this is the Africa sold on Western media. Such an interesting read, very satirical, and yes very thought-provoking. One will be surprised to see that this is exactly the way Africa is depicted in Western televisions, magazines, news, and books. This really good article by the Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina on ‘ How to Write about Africa‘ was recently shared with me. An antelope at dusk, with the African sun
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |