New book by Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga
Contents: Introduction-Overview-Tebogo and the epithalamion-People of the Townships-My life and literature-Miscellaneous Writings-Tebogo and the bacchae-Appendices
‘Little by little, my own body of writings on Omoseye Bolaji my “captain” of literature, began to grow. In this book I attempt to analyse some of Omoseye Bolaji books. Imperatively I prefer to focus on Tebogo and the Epithalamion, People of the Townships, Miscellaneous writings, My life and Literature, and the new (2012) Tebogo book, Tebogo and the Bacchae. Furthermore I also proffer my understanding about African literature in general, its evolution and its influence on contemporary African writers.
I would like to state that I put finishing touches to this work after being galvanised by the good news about the polished documentary being made on Omoseye Bolaji. Moreover I write this book to further honour the contribution that Bolaji has made to literature. I feel disgust and revulsion for the people who disguise themselves as proponent and advocates of literature and at the very same time wish to destroy the legacy of Omoseye Bolaji by calling him a ‘finished” writer and man. It is weird for a writer in Africa to be called a finished or declining writer; such is not how African literature is viewed from oral literature to the present written literature. We can’t and it will never happen that our heritage would be called outdated and in decline. No one will ever erase our fireside tales, stories and night oral fiction for our children...’ (from pages viii – Introduction- of the book)
