The contemporary ego is enormous, and suits for plagiarism are not uncommon. “I wrote this,” is the accusation. “You copied it.” How times have changed! Up through Shakespeare’s day, writers were more interested in basing their thoughts on older works than in writing something totally original. School children would compress the works of the classics or elaborate on them. They learned through imitation. Instead of having to guarantee to their professors that every word they uttered and every thought they conceived was theirs alone, they were expected to show that everything they said had been said before. Even Shakespeare’s plays were developed from histories and older plays and romances and stories, the authors of which are unknown in many cases.

Read on.

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As I’ve spent my summer back in the American Midwest, I’ve been frustrated by the seeming distance – geographic and culturally – from the areas in which I’m interested. The developing world’s richness is lost in sterile non-fiction accounts and Chris Abani reminded me that “If you want to know about Africa, read our literature. And not just ‘Things Fall Apart’- that’s like reading ‘Gone With the Wind’ and thinking you know all about America.” Of course! I realized that the cultural understanding I’ve been flirting with in a number of posts, can be found in fiction. I feared, however, that I didn’t know where to start.

Luckily, Chris is easily reachable via email and responded to my inquiry for African book recommendations with the following list:

1. Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun both by Chimamanda Adichie
2. Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala
3. The Beautiful Ones Are Not yet Born – Ayi Kwe Armah
4. A Question of Power – Bessie Head
5. Butterflies Burning – Yvonne Vera
6. The Sand Child – Tahar Ben Jelloun
7. Waiting for an Angel – Helon Habila

If you have any other recommendations, leave them in the comments. But, regardless, do yourself a favor and watch his talks.