Flora Nwapa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa (born January 18, 1931; died 1993) was a Nigerian author best known as Flora Nwapa. Her novel Efuru (1966) is among the first English language novels by a woman from Africa.^[1]

Nwapa, born in Oguta,^[2] was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers. Whilst never considering herself a feminist, she is best-known for recreating life and traditions from a woman's viewpoint. In 1966 her book Efuru became Africa's first internationally published female novel in the English language (Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd). She has been called the mother of modern African literature. Later she went on to become the first African woman publisher of novels when she founded Tata Press.

She also is known for her governmental work in reconstruction after the Biafran War. In particular she worked with orphans and refugees. Further she worked as a publisher of African literature and promoted women in African society.^[3]

[edit] Books

Novels

• Efuru (1966)
• Idu (Heinemann African Writers Series, No.56, ISBN 0435900560; 1970)
• Never Again (1975)
• One is Enough (1981)
• Women are Different (1986)

Short stories/poems

• This is Lagos and Other Stories (1971)
• Cassava Song and Rice Song (1986)
• Wives at War and Other Stories (1980)

Children's books

• Emeka, Driver's Guard (1972)
• Mammywater (1979)
• Journey to Space (1980)
• The Miracle Kittens (1980)
• The Adventures of Deke (1980)

[edit] Further reading

• Feml Nzegwu, Love, Motherhood and the African Heritage: The Legacy of Flora Nwapa, African Renaissance Foundation (paperback 2003), ISBN 1903625092
• Marie Umeh, Emerging Perspectives on Flora Nwapa: Critical and Theoretical Essays, Africa World Press (1998), ISBN 0865435154

[edit] References