21st CENTURY LIT REVIEWER
conversion of the
AFRO-ASIAN LITERATURE
- term form literary works written by people from
mixed African-Arab ethnicity or African-Asian
ethnicity
- mirrors not only customs and traditions of African
and Asian countries but also their philosophy of
life
- early written documents were based on the
stories passed by word of mouth which were
handed down by mouth to entertain, educate and
remind people of their past
AFRICAN LITERATURE
- 2ND largest continent
- name came into Western use through the
Romans, who used the name Africa terra- “Land
of the Afri” for the northern part of the continent
1. PRE-COLONIAL
- people have lived in Africa for thousand of years,
- “cradle of civilization” where civilizations have
emerged
- tribes: hundred of ethnic groups live together in
close groups, each having different culture, religion,
language which sometimes causes conflicts
NOTABLE WORKS:
The Interesting Autobiography of
Narrative of the Life Olaudah Equiano or
of Olaudah Equiano also known as Gustavus
Vassa
Describes Equiano’s
time spent in
enslavement
Epic of Sundiata Epic poem of Manlike
People
Tells story of the hero
Sundiata Keita, the
founder of Mali
Empire (Mali Empire of
West Africa)
Narrated by generations
of griot poets/jeli
(west African historians)
The epic was put into
book by Djibril Tamsir
Niane
Epic of Dinga From old Ghana Empire
Kebra Nagast/The Best known work in this
Book of Kings tradition
Made by Is’haq
Nebura-Id of Axum
(Aksumite Empire)
Considered by many
Ethiopian Christians to
be a historically
reliable work
How Queen of Sheba
met King Solomon, how
the Ark of the Covenant
came to Ethiopa
syl
Discusses the
Ethiopians from the
worship of the Sun,
Moon and Stars to the
“Lord God of Israel”
“Trickster” Stories One of the popular form
of traditional African
folktale
A small animal uses
its wits to survive
encounters with larger
creatures
Anansi: spider in
Ashanti people of Ghana
Ljapa: tortoise in
Yoruba folklore of
Nigeria
Sungura: rabbit in
central and east African
2. COLONIAL
- European countries ruled most of Africa from
1800s to 1960s, they wanted Africa’s resources
- divided most of Africa into colonies, ethnic groups
were forced to live together
- Liberia and Ethiopia are the only countries that
were independent
- fighting amongst ethnic groups is a perennial
problem
- Europeans built railroads, roads, seaports to ship
minerals and raw materials (cotton, metal
and wood) to Europe
- they also started plantations
NOTABLE WRITERS:
Joseph Ephraim Also known as Ekra-
Casely Haford Agiman
a Ghanaian journalist,
editor, author, lawyer
and educator who
supports the pan-
African nationalism
(belief that “African
people both on the
continent and in the
diaspora, share not
merely a common
history but a common
destiny.”)
Wrote “Ethiopia
Unbound: Studies in
Race Emancipation”
the first African novel in
English
Herbert Isaac Ernest One of the major
Dhlomo founding figures of
South African literature
Wrote “The Girl Who
Killed to Save” the
first English-language
African play
Ngugi Wa Thiong’o Award winning, world- magnificent epic
renowned Kenyan writer writing has been a
and academic who very great benefit to
writes in Gikuyu humanity.”
Wrote “The Black John Pepper Clark Nigerian poet,
Hermit” which was first playwright
produced in the The play “Ozidi and
traveling theatre of Song of Goat”
Makerere College in His works usually has
honor of Ugandan themes of: violence &
independence protest, institutional
Leopold Sedar Senegalese poet, corruption, beauty of
Senghor politician and cultural nature and landscapes,
theorist for 2 decades European colonialism
Founder of the Birago Diop Senegalese poet and
Senegalese storyteller
Democratic Bloc His works helped re-
Party establish general
Published first anthology interest in the African
of French language folktales
poetry “Anthology of
the New Black and ASIAN LITERATURE
Malagasy Poetry in - largest continent
the French - word Asia originated from the ancient Greek word
Language” Aoia, first attributed to Herodotus, originally was a
Chinua Achebe Nigerian novelist, poet, name for the east bank of the Aegean sea
professor, critic
Wrote “Things Fall 1. PERSIAN
Apart” - present day Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of
Jomo Kenyatta Kenyan anti-colonial Iran
activitst and politician - second largest country in Middle East
who governed Kenya as - world’s oldest civilization that made impact
its prime minister into its unique writers and works
Kenya’s first
indigenous head of NOTABLE WRITERS:
government Djami/Jami Persian poet
Significant role in Writer of mystical sufi
making Kenya literature (a vibrant
independent from the part of Islamic literature
British empire and civilization, hence
God in Sufi is the God in
3. POST-COLONIAL Islam)
- no more colonies or lands rules by distant “Bewildered Arab”
countries philosophical puzzle that
- today most Africans ears a living by farming makes a philosopher
- they use traditional methods, most of them are question the nature of
subsistence farmers (they struggle just to grow his surroundings
enough food for their families) Omar Khayyam Persian mathematician,
- most countries in Africa are still developing astronomer and poet
Known as Astronomer-
NOTABLE WRITERS: Poet of Persia
Wole Soyinka Nigerian playwright, Notable for his work on
poet, essayist classification and
Awarded the 1986 solution of cubic
Nobel Prize in equations
Literature, the first “Rubaiyat” means
African to be awarded in quatrains, collection of
this category 4-line poems, focused
Nadine Gordimer South African writer, on the theme carpe
political activist, diem (translated to
recipient English by Edward
Recognized as a woman Fitzgerald)
“who through her
syl
Saadi Major Persian poet and Received Nobel Prize for
prose writer of the his work “Gitanjali”, a
medieval period collection of poems that
Recognized for quality has a devotion theme
of writings and depth
of his social and NOTABLE WORKS:
moral thoughts Ramayana and Most important epics in
Known as “Master of Mahabharata India
Speech” Ramayana Reincarnation of the
Wrote “The Gulistan” creator god, Vishnu, in
(The Rose Garden), a the person of Rama
collection of poems & Mahabharata Deals with the other
stories reincarnation of
Vishnu in the person
NOTABLE WORKS: of Krishna
One Thousand and Collection of Middle Rig-Veda Roots of Indian
One Nights Eastern folktales literature
compiled in Arabic Made up of hymns in
during the Islamic praise of god
Golden Age
About Shahryar who is 3. CHINESE
a king of an empire but - most populous country
brokenhearted bc of an - almost 70% of Chinese belongs to non-religious
unfaithful wife, he chose or Chinese folk religions
to marry a new woman - called the land of the red dragon
everyday only to kill her
the next day, he had NOTABLE WRITERS:
killed 1,001 when he Confucius Chinese philosopher,
meets Scheherezade politician
who asked to tell a story Confuciasnism:
on a long night emphasized personal
and governmental
2. INDIAN morality, correctness of
- 7TH largest country by area social relationships
- 2nd most populous country “The Analects of
- almost 80% of Indians is part of Hinduism Confucius” compiled
- called the “land of prayers” teachings, contains
fragments of dialouges
NOTABLE WRITERS: between him and his
Kalidasa Classical Sanskrit writer disciples, in Chinese the
Greatest poet and book is lit rally called
dramatist in the “discussion on the
Sanskrit language words (of
Plays and poetry are Confucius)”
based on Vedas, the Golden Rule: Do not
Ramayana, the impose on others what
Mahabharata and the you do not wish for
Puranas yourself
“Shakuntala” a play Siddhartha Gautama Religious leader,
about Raja Dushyanta (Buddha) philosopher and teacher
who falls inlove with A Nepali but his
Shakuntala teachings were part of
Vishnu Sharma Indian scholar and Chinese literature
author “Dhammapada”
Believed to have written collection of sayings of
“Pachantantra” the Buddha, presents
collection of interrelated details of events & rich
animal fables in Sanskrit source of legend for the
Rabindranath Tagore Polymath, poet, life of Buddha
musician and artist Lao She Pen name of Chinese
Reshaped Bengali novelist Shu Ch’ing
literature and music Ch’un or Lao Hsiang
The Bard of Bengal Humourist, patriot and
syl
 realist
“A Country Boy Quits
School” endearing
social satire, about a
poor Chinese family who
sent its boy to school
following an official
proclamation
Li Po (Li Bai) Chinese poet
Romantic figure who
took traditional poetry
forms to new heights
Prominent figures in the
Tang Dynasty which is
the “Golden Age of
Chinese Poetry”
Bai Juyi (Po Chu I) Renowned Chinese poet
Represented classical
tradition of Chinese
literature

4. JAPANESE
- 50% of Japanese is part of Shintoism
- called the land of the rising sun
- katakana: basic alphabet in Japan, 47 characters
- earliest Japanese Literary works:
1. Kojiki (records of ancient matters)
2. Nihongi (chronicles of Japan)
- drama is the most favourite form of amusement:
1. Noh Play – national theatre of Japan
2. Joruri (Puppet play)
3. Kabuki Play – play of the masses, less
Intellectual, more realistic

NOTABLE WORKS:
Manyo Shu Oldest collection of
Japanese poetry
Kojiki Records of ancient
matter
Nihongi Chronicles of Japan

NOTABLE WRITER:
Ryunosuke Father of the Japanese
Akutagawa Short Story
Japen’s premier literary
award is named after
him
Committed suicide at
the age of 35 through
sleep-inducing drug
barbital
Wrote “In a Grove”
early modernist short
story, blending of the
modernist search for
identity themes from
historic Japanese
literature, presents
three varying
accounts of the
murder of a samurai

syl