Empowerment Through Literary Communities

Through his elaboration on the connections between writers and readers, Ndibe demonstrates how participation in literary communities can empower marginalized people to embrace their identities and reach their potential.

During Ndibe's schooling, he is transformed from someone still under the spell of colonial power, not realizing the value of Nigerian cultural achievements, into someone who realizes that he can see himself and his country as being on equal footing with the rest of the world. This transformation is affected through exposure to the works of figures like Achebe and Soyinka, whose literature establishes the dignity and potential of Nigerian people. Their works inspire Ndibe to become a chronicler of the Nigerian experience and an advocate for African interests, first as a columnist in Nigeria, then as editor of African Commentary, and finally as a novelist.

Literature, according to Ndibe, derives its value from...