Perspectives on Written Cameroon Literature in English

written by Shadrach Ambanasom

In 2009, Anglophone Cameroon literature celebrated its fifty years of existence. Now at the mature age of fifty plus this literature has a great deal to write home about even if it still has a lot to do in its pursuit of excellence.

Part of its maturity resides in the fact that although the scale of literary creativity and literary criticism is skewed in favour of the former, Anglophone Cameroon literary criticism is gradually waking up from slumber in an attempt to catch up with the rapidly expanding creativity. The essays in this book comment practically on some aspects of all the genres of written literature that the Anglophone Cameroon creative writers have produced so far: the novel, drama, poetry, the short story, the essay and children’s literature. The essays, on the whole, are a testimony of the transition and reality from the apparent drought of Anglophone Cameroon literary paucity to the actual fruitful period of Anglophone Cameroon abundance of literary creativity. The Anglophone Cameroonians have appropriated an imperial language, English, to serve their postcolonial Cameroonian vision. Their various literary texts are vehicles of representations that are essentially cultural and ideological constructs. The works examined are initially anchored on Cameroonian experiences to take on social significance. As they are grounded on moving human experiences, these works necessarily make references to the immediate Cameroonian environment of their authors before taking on universal human significance. The book abundantly evidences and crowns Shadrach Ambanasom’s achievements and reputation as a skilled pedagogue on the art of practical literary criticism.

Shadrach Ambanasom

Shadrach A. Ambanasom was born in Ngie Sub-Division in the North-West Region of Cameroon. He holds the following academic diplomas: CAPCEG, Modern Letters (University of Yaounde 1); BA (Hons) English (University of London); M.Ed; MA and PhD (Ohio University). He is an initiated member of the American KAPPA DELTA PI, an honour society which encourages high professional, intellectual and personal standards and recognizes outstanding contributions to education. Presently he is Associate Professor and Head of the English Department at E.N.S. Annexe Bambili, University of Yaounde 1. His publications include The Radical Romantics: An Introduction (2001), Education of the Deprived: A Study of four Cameroonian Playwrights (2003), The Dregs of Humanity(2005), Homage and Courtship: Romantic Stirrings of a Young Man (2007), Son of the Native Soil (2009) and numerous articles in national and international scientific journals.