The African e-Journals Project has digitized full text of articles of eleven social science and humanities journals. This item is from the digital archive maintained by Michigan State University Library. Find more at: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/ Available through a partnership with Scroll down to read the article. 'Some errors in Artist Obiora the article in Udechukwu with Ulli Glendora Nr3' Beier Nigeria and actually pres- ing in schools. I had little con- lished an Indian poet. People I H E sured me to ask him to write tact even with the staff of the thought contacts across bor- I heard of Peter this piece! University. The only expatri- der lines and cultures. And a Benson's work on the magazine is a good vehicle ate teaching in Nigeria who AsforMartinEsslin:hewasat subject was when he was helpful in this respect for that! the ti me the authority on Brecht sent me the completed was Gerald Moore. There and the Theatre of the Absurd thesis to read. He was, of course, the vast The trouble seems to be: Akin in Britain- in fact in Europe. If never interviewed me archive of Janheinz Jahn to Adesokan has obviously made Nigerian playwrights wanted and I have never met draw on. Remember that his a thorough study of Peter to be performed in Britain him. My letter may anthology of African poetry Benson's book and other sec- (and they did!) why should have been a response (in German) appeared in ondary sources. (Congratula- they resent a review by a to that thesis - but it 1 954! Otherwise most of the tions on a good piece of re- British critic? Or are you im- was obviously too late authors found me. search). But has he read the to make any impact. magazine? plying that 'only an African should review African litera- Whether he modified 4) 'Obsessive' interest in the ture1? If so-who is indulging his ideas in the subse- literatures of the black world. 5) The author complains that in the black mystique? If quent book I don't If you start a journal of Afri- most of the critics were white. people were unhappy with know, because I can literature what else are As an editor you will be these reviews, why did no- haven't read it. you expected to publish in it aware that you can only pub- body write a rejoinder8 other than African literature? lish things that people present 2) I was never a prisoner of Of course many African to you for publication, or that 6) 'Abiola Irele succeeded war. I have never carried American authors felt that they they deliver when you have anybody's uniform let alone belonged and they were anx- solicited them. At the time Beier'. Wrong! Abiola Irele anybody's gun. (I was de- ious to appear in BO. That Nigerians were more inter- was my co-editor from Nr 17 tained in a civilian camp as an was a good reason to include ested in writing than in review- - 22! During this time he wrote 'enemy alien' but that is not them, I thought. ing. As for Paul Theroux: I one major article on Chinua the same thing). always found him a highly Achebe for the magazine. As for Okigbo's remark: why overrated writer and critic. It Unfortunately no more. 3) 'His contacts among expa- didn't I publish white Ameri- was Christopher Okigbo who triates who taught in schools cans, the answer is I did! was the champion of Paul By the way: the articles by ensured that Beier gathered Dorothy Obi, for example, Theroux in Nigeria. Christo- Paul Theroux and Esslin ap- peared while Abiola Irele was material rather rapidly....' I and Peter Thomas, who was pher met Paul Theroux in didn'tJ<now expatriates teach- English and white, I even pub- Kampala. He brought him to an editor of the magazine. | African Quarterly i the A rts Vol.1/NO 4 7) Ulli Beier's preference for her first story ever in response conglomeration of talent in Nwoko's theatre (and he did the 'negritudinist sensibility'. I to our short story competition. Biafra and that amazing liter- stage more impressive pro- published what was available Have I left anybody out? Not ary activities went on even in ductions there!) but as a build- and what I considered (rightly many. the midst of war. ing it was a nouveau-riche or wrongly) as valuable. Of bourgeois monstrosity and we course there was an emphasis 8) I was not 'running' the 1 1) Finally: the gravest error both knew that one could on writers from French West DuroLadipo company, though of all. It says that Ulli Beier never give it that flair of the Africa at first - but then they I was involved with it, sup- 'disbanded the Mbari Club old place. We both left. Wole had produced a vast body of ported it where I could and - before leaving Nigeria.' I left got his own premises for the work before Nigerians even above all - loved it! The same theclubin(lthink) 1964 when Orisun Theatre, whereas I came on the scene! What is is true of the other things I was the committee decided to stayed in Osogbo where there more, French wasn't taught in supposed to have 'run'. move premises to the Central was more than enough to do. Nigeria, so Nigerian authors Hotel in Ibadan. Both Wole couldn't read them. Chris 9) The author asks why Ezekiel Soyinka and myself were at- The Mbari club went Okigbo wouldn't have been Mphahlele did leave BO in tached to the particular atmo- on successfully till it was killed able to object to Senghor, if he 1963. This is a case of an sphere of original premises by the civil war, with mem- hadn't read him in BO (He author not reading his own right in the midst of Dugbe bers ending up in different studied Classics at the univer- article, because he informs us market; the informality of the camps. sity - not French!) elsewhere that he went to Paris place, the food itoffered. Here in 1963. people wandered in freely Most Nigerian authors and from the street - passersby, Iwalewa Haus, many South Africans and West 10) I never said that 'all the curious people, even thugs. Bayreuth, Germany. Africans made their debut in talents had gone to the East1 Mbari was at the heart-beat 20th June, 1996. either BO or Mbari Publica- in 1966, though I did point of Ibadan. The Central Hotel tions. Ama Ata Aidoo wrote out that there was an intense offered space for Demas MALTHOUSE PRESS LIMITED MALTHOUSE PRESS LTD Ike &ett of ftaeMiutf in ftfftica, New Titles Awaiting Court Martial Mudhut Books Festuslyayi (1996) 350.00 (a children's books division ofMalthouse Press Ltd) To My Husband From Iowa Chukwuemeka Ike (1996) 395.00 Illustrated Rhymes for Children Batolica Peter U. 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