🔅 Literary Erasure: Book Lists are Ignoring Africa
The World Twins Festival & Africa’s Endangered Veggies
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Much of what passes as literary culture analyses in American publications suffers from intellectual protectionism, at best, or amputation of logic, at worst. ‘The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century’ list by The New York Times Book Review, which has just one African writer (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah), and then this one titled ‘What the New York Times Missed: 71 More of the Best Books of the 21st Century’ by Literary Hub, which also has one African (Fiston Mwanza Mujila’s Tram 83).
"The Literary Hub piece annoys me more because it pretends to be a corrective and then commits a worse erasure. It claims that the New York Times missed something, but that thing cannot possibly be Africa; it says there are 70 more better written books from anywhere else than any from Africa. Think about that for a moment.
When Damon Galgut flits between the first- and third-person in one sentence in his book, In a Strange Room, the acknowledgement never transcends book reviews into literary culture essays or lists.”
I do not know any 21st century English-language novel of literary fiction that matches Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. Maybe there are, but I do not know them, and I’d appreciate it if someone pointed them out. I feel that if that novel were about the tragedy of the Holocaust and not that of Biafra, it would be number one on that list.
It’s from an interview with founder and editor of Open Country Mag, Otosirieze Obi-Young.
We strongly recommend you read the rest.
The World Twins Festival in Pictures
Welcome to Igbo-Ora, Nigeria's "Twin Town," where seeing double isn't a sign you've had too much palm wine—it's just another Wednesday.
Once a year, this place throws a party so nice, they do it twice... or more, depending on how many sets of twins show up.
In West Africa, twins aren't just siblings; they're walking, talking good luck charms, which explains the festival dedicated to these dynamic duos. Scientists are still scratching their heads, trying to figure out if it's in the genes or the beans, but either way, Igbo-Ora is definitely twinning at life.
Want to see double the fun? Check out this photo essay by The Guardian that'll make you do a double-take.
Are You a High-Growth Business on the Continent?
The FT (deadline Jan 31) and Bloomberg (deadline Nov 8) are seeking entries for their annual list of Africa’s fastest growing startups. You can submit your company be following the links.
Africa’s Endangered Veggies
Apparently, a wide range of African vegetable varieties are pulling a Houdini and vanishing into thin air. And no, this isn't some magic trick gone wrong – it's the result of climate change, urbanization, and our collective addiction to junk food.
At the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Kigali, experts sounded the alarm, warning that many indigenous African vegetable species have already gone the way of the dodo, while others are teetering on the brink of extinction.
Take the okra (Abelmoschus manihot), for example: This West African staple, once loved for its medicinal properties, is now harder to find than a needle in a haystack. And don't get us started on black nightshade and amaranth – these poor veggies are in critical condition.
In the last century, we've managed to lose a staggering 75 percent of the global diversity of African vegetables.
Urbanization is a big culprit. Every time we clear a bush to build a new road or expand a city, we're essentially wiping out countless vegetable varieties, never to be seen again.
Climate change isn't helping either. Floods, landslides, and other natural disasters are wreaking havoc on our veggie friends, causing some varieties to disappear faster than your paycheck on payday.
And so, the World Vegetable Centre has launched the Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan, a 10-year roadmap to save our precious greens. The plan involves collecting seeds of wild varieties, preserving them in gene banks, and even breeding them for future generations.
Of course, this veggie rescue mission doesn't come cheap. They're looking at $12.5 million to get the job done. But hey, that's a small price to pay for ensuring we don't end up in a world where the only vegetable on our plates is a sad, wilted lettuce leaf.
So, what can we do to help?
For starters, we need to start appreciating and consuming these indigenous vegetables. Embrace the okra, cherish the amaranth, and give black nightshade a chance. By creating demand for these endangered veggies, we can encourage farmers to grow them and help preserve these vital species.
And let's not forget the power of policy. We need to support farmer-managed seed systems and adopt policies that make it easier for farmers to grow these threatened vegetable varieties. Because let's face it, a world without diverse veggies is just plain sad.
Food for Thought
“The dance of an old man doesn’t last long.”
— Gabonese Proverb
Okra is what?! 🫨 this is a vegetable that is a huge part of my(our) diet.