Saturday, August 12, 2006

Who Says Nigerians Don't Dig Reading?

This was the question posed in Glendora eCulture, the e-Newsletter of Glendora Bookshop. Jazzhole (where the Diana Evans reading was held last Saturday) is part of the Glendora family. And many of my favourite childhood memories include time spent in Glendora picking out my birthday and Christmas books.

It's very exciting to see more of a reading movement in Nigeria. Of course, Nigerians read and always have. However, popular reading material has tended to include books about religion, business and making money; and let's not forget self-help/pop-pyschology books and bestsellers. Some might not consider these to be 'serious' literature (I admit that I kind of do not), but people will read what is of relevance to their lives. And sometimes reading anything period is good, because hopefully it will lead to tackling more ambitious work.

Well, I certainly applaud Glendora's efforts to feed Nigerian's literary hunger. There are two more readings planned for August: Bunmi Oyinsan on the 17th at 5PM with her book Three Women; and Nadine Gordimer on the 27th at 3PM.

7 comments:

Nkem said...

I second your post with a heavy thud. Nigerians are voracious readers and have always been. You're right that the kind of books largely read have not exactly been "serious" literature. But that said, I know that bestsellers, the moment they leave your house, do a tour of the country and come back a few months later battered from the sheer number of people who've read it.

Quest said...

hey Ore. I've moved to everchange.blogspot.com

btw, feministafricansisters is now afrofeminizta.blogspot.com

Aramide said...

I think we are becoming increasingly better with nobel laureate's, poets, award-winning journalists and writers from Nigeria, etc.

TEMITAYO OMOLOLA said...

Hey Ore Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How was POP in Lagos? Down here the ceremony was lovely but the collection of transport allowance was hellish. Did they make u guys pay 500 naira for joining the NYSC foundation or have we been scamed down here?

Ore said...

Thank you, Adunni! Congrats yourself! Are you in Lagos now?

Our POP was good, though vey few people seemed to pay attention to the proceedings. It took me a while to realise that things had actually started.

Yes, we had to pay N500 for the NYSC Foundation. We didn't collect any transportation allowance though. We also had to buy the Eko Kopa magazine (Lagos State's NYSC mag) for N500 as we collected our discharge certificates. Talk about one last form of exhtorion!!!!!!!

Aramide said...

ur post inspired me to blog about nigerian literature :o)

thanks for the insight

TEMITAYO OMOLOLA said...

Thanks ore, im not in Lagos yet. I've decided to chill here for one weeks before heading out to lagos. I've got stuff in my head i need to sort out before i leave here 'cos in Lagos ill be needing a more confident and more together me.

The POP was the same here too. Although the state guvernor threw us a party the day before POP.
We also had to pay 500 naira for the kaduna NYSC mag too i also thought it was a form of extortion. I suppose they didn't give you guys any transport allowance 'cos you all live in Lagos now!!! LOL.