Ayi Kwei Armah, Radical Iconoclast: Pitting Imaginary Worlds Against the Actual

by Ode Ogede

Although the Ghanaian novelist Ayi Kwei Armah has won global recognition as one of Africa's most articulate writers, Ode Ogede contends that critics have often misinterpreted the aesthetic and literary influences that shape Armah's artistic vision. Beginning with the premise that Armah's writing must be situated within its cultural, historical, and political contexts, Ogede challenges those scholarly assessments of Armah that regard him as a throwback to the major figures of European literature. Instead, Ogede firmly links Armah's art with the complexities of African oral traditions and traces Armah's ability to create new literary forms through Armah's competent manipulation of his oral sources. Ogede's interdisciplinary blend of history, politics, and literary criticism breaks new ground in scholarly discourse on Africa.

220 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2000