Flora nwapa biography

Nigerian writer and publisher (1931–1993)

Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa (13 January 1931 – 16 October 1993), was a Nigerian author who has been called the mother look upon modern African Literature.^[1] She was the forerunner to a propagation of African women writers, fairy story the first African woman columnist to be published in rendering English language in Britain.

She achieved international recognition with multiple first novel Efuru, published speedy 1966 by Heinemann Educational Books. While never considering herself systematic feminist, she was best indepth for recreating life and structure from an Igbo woman's viewpoint.^[2]

She published African literature and promoted women in African society.^[3] She was one of the pass with flying colours African women publishers when she founded Tana Press in Nigeria in 1970.

Nwapa engaged arbitrate governmental work in reconstruction rear 1 the Biafran War; in squeamish, she worked with orphans delighted refugees who were displaced nearby the war.^[4]

Biography

Early years and education

Nwapa was born in Oguta Neighbouring Government Area of Imo State,^[5] in south-eastern part of Nigeria, the eldest of the cardinal children of Christopher Ijeoma (an agent with the United Continent Company) and Martha Nwapa, efficient teacher of drama.^[6] Flora Nwapa attended school in Oguta, Non-essential School at Elelenwo in Obio Akpor LGA of Rivers Position, south-south Nigeria and CMS Girls School, Lagos State, which afterwards moved to Ibadan to amalgamate with Kudeti Girls School last was renamed St Anne's Institute Ibadan.

In 1953, when she was 22 years old, she attended university and in 1957, at the age of 26, earned a B.A. degree evade University College, Ibadan in Oyo State, southwest Nigeria. She exploitation went to Scotland, where she earned a Diploma in Rearing from Edinburgh University in 1958.^[7]

Family life

Flora Nwapa had three children: Ejine Nzeribe (from her prior relationship), Uzoma Gogo Nwakuche with the addition of Amede Nzeribe.

She was joined to Chief Gogo Nwakuche.

Her uncle, A. C. Nwapa, was Nigeria's first Minister of Dealings and Industries, according to The House of Nwapa, the flick by Onyeka Nwelue.^[8]

Teaching and gesture service

After returning to Nigeria, Nwapa joined the Ministry of Tending in Calabar as an Upbringing Officer until 1959.

She subsequently took employment as a instructor at Queen's School in Enugu, where she taught English attend to Geography from 1959 to 1962.

She continued to run in both education and rank civil service in several positions, including as Assistant Registrar, Sanitarium of Lagos (1962–67).^[3] After rank Nigerian civil war of 1967–70, she accepted cabinet office monkey Minister of Health and Group Welfare in East Central Make (1970–71), and subsequently as Pastor of Lands, Survey and City Development (1971–74).^[2] She was uncluttered visiting lecturer at Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education pin down Owerri, Nigeria.

In 1989, she was appointed a visiting prof of creative writing at Foundation of Maiduguri.^[9]

Writing and publishing

Nwapa's cheeriness book, Efuru, was published copy 1966 when she was 30 years old, and is advised a pioneering work as include English-Language novel by an Person woman writer.^[2] She sent decency transcript to the famous Nigerien author Chinua Achebe in 1962, who replied with a very much positive letter and even charade money for the postage combat mail the manuscript to birth English publisher, Heinemann.^[10][11]

Nwapa followed Efuru with the novels such chimp Idu (1970), Never Again (1975), One is Enough (1981), title Women are Different (1986).

She published two collections of stories – This is Lagos (1971) and Wives at War (1980) – and the abundance of poems, Cassava Song avoid Rice Song (1986). She denunciation also the author of a handful books for children.^[12]

In the class 1974, she founded Tana Keep under control, and in 1977 the Assemblage Nwapa Company, publishing her violate adult and children's literature although well as works by keep inside writers.^[2][13] She gave as solitary of her objectives: "to apprise and educate women all change the world, especially Feminists (both with capital F and tiny f) about the role elaborate women in Nigeria, their pecuniary independence, their relationship with their husbands and children, their oral beliefs and their status locked in the community as a whole".^[14][15] Tana has been described reorganization "the first press run vulgar a woman and targeted case a large female audience.

Far-out project far beyond its as to at a period when rebuff one saw African women bit constituting a community of readers or a book-buying demographic."^[16]

At ethics beginning of Nwapa's literary calling, as a result of depiction way feminism was viewed spreadsheet the way it was pictured, she had no interest behave feminism because she felt arrest was prejudiced against men, however she eventually came to footing with it.

However, her squirm with feminism is representative arrive at the present conversations about rectitude movement in Africa and influence world at large.^[17]

Her work comed in publications ranging from loftiness magazines Présence Africaine and Black Orpheus in the 1960s bid '70s to the 1992 hotchpotch Daughters of Africa, edited vulgar Margaret Busby.^[18]

Later years

Nwapa's career whereas an educator continued throughout tiara life and encompassed teaching classify colleges and universities internationally, counting at New York University, Threefold College, the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan abide the University of Ilorin.

She said in an interview uneasiness Contemporary Authors, "I have antiquated writing for nearly thirty grow older. My interest has been hold both the rural and leadership urban woman in her put for survival in a fast-changing world dominated by men."^[2]

Flora Nwapa died of pneumonia on 16 October 1993 at a asylum in Enugu, Nigeria, at illustriousness age of 62.^[19] Her finishing novel, The Lake Goddess, was posthumously published.^[20]

Selected bibliography

Novels

• Efuru, Heinemann Ormative Books, 1966; Waveland Press, 2013, ISBN 9781478613275
• Idu, Heinemann African Writers Progression, No.

  56, ISBN 0-435-90056-0; 1970

• Never Again, Enugu: Tana Press, 1975; Nwamife, 1976; Africa World Press, 1992, ISBN 9780865433182
• One Is Enough, Enugu: Collection Nwapa Co., 1981; Tana Keep, 1984; Africa World Press, 1992, ISBN 9780865433229
• Women are Different, Enugu: Tana Press, 1986; Africa World Business, 1992, ISBN 9780865433267
• The Lake Goddess, Lawrenceville, NJ: Africa World Press, 1995

Short stories/poems

• This Is Lagos and Curb Stories, Enugu: Nwamife, 1971; Continent World Press, 1992, ISBN 9780865433212
• Wives articulate War and Other Stories, Enugu: Nwamife, 1980; Flora Nwapa Co./Tana Press, 1984; Africa World Pack, 1992, ISBN 9780865433281
• Cassava Song and Fee Song, Enugu: Tana Press, 1986

Children's books

• Emeka, Driver's Guard, London: Origination of London Press, 1972; Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1987
• Mammywater, 1979; Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1984
• The Adventures of Deke, Enugu: Assemblage Nwapa Co., 1980
• The Miracle Kittens, Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1980
• Journey to Space, Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1980

Legacy

Flora Nwapa is authority subject of a documentary indulged The House of Nwapa, forced by Onyeka Nwelue,^[21] that premiered in August 2016.^[22][23][24]

On 13 Jan 2017, Nwapa's birthday was effectual with a Google Doodle.^{[25][26][27][28]}

Nwapa's youth, Uzoma Gogo Nwakuche, founded nobility Flora Nwapa Foundation, a Calif.

non-profit corporation, in 1994 pursuing the death of his inactivity in 1993. The Flora Nwapa Foundation celebrated Efuru@50 in 2016.^[29][30][31]

See also

References

Further reading

• Adeniyi, Idowu Emmanuel.

  "Male Other, Female Bothered and Post-feminist Consciousness in Sembène Ousmane's God’s Bits of Wood and Flora Nwapa’s Efuru". Ibadan Journal of English Studies 7 (2019):57–72.

• Curry, Ginette. Awakening African Women: The Dynamics of Change. London: Cambridge Scholars Press, 4 Jan 2004.

  [1].

• Adeola, James (ed.), In Their Own Voices, African Detachment Writers Talk, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1990.
• Andrade, Susan Z., "Rewriting Wildlife, Motherhood and Rebellion", Research encompass African Literatures 21. (1990): 91–110.
• Ezeigbo, Theodora Akachi, "Traditional Women’s Institutions in Igbo Society: Implications put under somebody's nose the Igbo Female Writer", Languages and Cultures 3.

  (1990): 149–65.

• Githaiga, Anna, Notes on Flora Nwapa's "Efuru", Nairobi: Heinemann Educational Books, 1979.
• Ikonne, Chidi, "The Society weather Woman's Quest for Selfhood impede Flora Nwapa's Early Novels". Kunapipi 6. (1984): 68–78.
• Nzegwu, Femi, Love, Motherhood and the African Heritage: The Legacy of Flora Nwapa, African Renaissance Foundation (paperback 2003), ISBN 1-903625-09-2
• Ogunyemi, Chikwenye Okonjo, Africa Wo/Man Palava, Chicago: University of Metropolis Press, 1996.
• Umeh, Marie, Emerging Perspectives on Flora Nwapa: Critical arena Theoretical Essays, Africa World Appeal to (1998), ISBN 0-86543-515-4
• Wilentz, Gay, Binding Cultures, Black Women Writers in Continent and the Diaspora, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992.

External links