Who controls and owns African literature?

By Tolu Ogunlesia

The literary world is once again shining a spotlight on Africa. There are new prizes: the South Africa-based PEN Studzinski Literary Award for short stories and the Penguin Prize for African Writing, a pan-African prize covering both fiction and non-fiction genres. There’s a new book series, the Penguin African Writers Series, which will include not only new books from emerging writers, but also classics taken over from the defunct Heinemann African Writers Series. And next year South Africa will be featured as the ‘Market Focus country’ at the 2010 London Book Fair and African writing will be showcased at the Gothenburg Book Fair.