Nnedi Okoroafor is a PhD holder in English from the University of Illinois, Chicago and Professor of Creative Writing at Chicago State University. She is an associate professor of creative writing and literature at the New York State University, Buffalo. In this interview with Vanguard, she expresses her love for African Literature, stating that art increases one’s quality of life and that writers are important in this.

Read excerpts below:

Considering the role of Literature, do you think African writers have contributed to shaping Africa?

 

Certainly, they have used their imagination, for instance if there is something wrong and for there to be change, you need imagination which brings idea that will lead to practical things.

Practical things

So as writers, we work with imagination and what we do is help people to imagine what could be, what shouldn’t and couldn’t be. While doing that we entertain as well which is extremely important to ones’ quality of life. Think about it, take out art, take out entertainment from life, there is no quality of life. Art increases one’s quality of life. And writers are important in this.

What then is wrong with Africa? It’s bigger than that. The issues are bigger. We’ve dealt with colonialism, dealt with ourselves, we are not perfect people. But we have a whole bunch of issues both external and internal. I think writer’s play a big role in that, they have more jobs to do to make things better. And so is everyone.

Read full interview here