African literature includes oral and written literary pieces in European languages.
The characteristics of African literature include slave narratives, protests against colonization, calls for independence, African pride, and hope for the future.
The themes in African literature include the clash between indigenous and colonial cultures, condemnation of European subjugation, pride in the African past, and hope for the continent’s independent future.
Mabel Dove-Danquah (1905-1984) is known for her portrayal of strong-headed and masculine-hearted women.
Nadine Gordimer's novels are known for their rich imagery of South Africa's historical development.
Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014) wrote a number of novels set against the backdrop of the emerging resistance movement against apartheid.
African writers and poets contribute to African literature.
Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) was a Nigerian novelist known for his work "Things Fall Apart" (1958), a devastating depiction of the clash between traditional tribal values and the effects of colonial rule, as well as the tension between masculinity and femininity in highly patriarchal societies.
David Diop (1927-1960) was a French West African poet known for his angry poems of protest against European cultural values.
