In Chris Dunton’s review of ‘Camouflage’: Tales from the powerhouse of modern African writing, Chris writes “Nigeria is without doubt the powerhouse of modern African writing”, “this has to do with a number of factors, all of which are grist to the creative writer’s mill: the sheer size of the place, its complexity and dynamism, and its host of unresolved problems.”
Edited by Nduka Otiono and Odoh Diego Okenyodo, the second edition of Camouflage: Best of Contemporary Writing from Nigeria is continuing to generate great reviews.
There is no arrangement by theme or genre to the close to 200 pieces contained in the anthology; the editors note “we have allowed the works to flow as freely as possible . . . That way, the reader will have to turn the pages, unsure of what to expect next, except perhaps, surprises.” The anthology has 71 contributors ranging from ages 24 – 46, aside from Afam Akeh who is 60.
The book opens with a poem about poetry and the role of the writer, Akeh’s The Living Poem: “This is poetry as she breathes, / popping like corn, as she sits in a Lagos stall / talking clever with the touts.” The same poet’s Three African Lives introduces subject matter that recurs throughout the book: the scourge of Nigeria, namely, its politicians and military dictators. On that score I can’t resist quoting the final poem in the cluster by Akeh, National Broadcast: “Any thought found loitering / Will be arrested, charged with treason.”
On the same core topic is a volcanic satirical poem by Pius Adesanmi, one of Nigeria’s brightest stars, who died in last year’s Ethiopian Airways plane crash. His Message from Aso Rock has the military head of state railing against the country’s Nobel prizewinner, Wole Soyinka: “We invited him to come and eat / He clung to a pen, clung to shit.”
Read full review at the Mail & Guardian