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Unveiling Sub-Saharan African Voices: A Close Look at Penned in Rage's Inaugural Edition

Bridgette O. James

Updated: Jan 27



Introducing Penned in Rage, a literary magazine amplifying voices from Sub-Saharan Africa. Edited by Bridgette James and illustrated by Kumbukani Chawinga, this quarterly publication features stories and poems that capture the essence of rage and resilience. Penned in Rage aims to showcase the work of underrepresented creatives, and the inaugural edition launches with poems and short fiction on the themes - love, flight, personal identity, loneliness and memory.

 

Featured this quarter are a range of stories and poems, including: The Plot by Lergon Paris, Savannah Serenade by Ajayi Oluwasegun Samson, and These Feet Are Not Too Feeble to Fly by Clement Abayomi.

 

This was it! This was the beginning of her own movie’s plot!

-Lergon Parris.

 

The protagonist in Lergon’s story is on a quest to find love like the butterflies in her lawn but it eludes her, unlike the main character in Micheal’s story who falls in love with her sister’s husband. Stories like Lergon's protagonist’s quest for love and Micheal's character’s complex relationship invite readers to explore the intricacies of human emotion and experience.

In The plot by Lergon Paris, Rihanna's mundane commute transforms into a personal narrative.

 

The dance of butterflies and a chance encounter on a bus stir a longing within her. This story captures the essence of fleeting connections and the yearning for something more profound. Rihanna's fantasy is shattered by reality

in The plot, her imagined connection with a stranger on the bus is disrupted by a phone call, revealing his commitment to another. This poignant tale explores the tension between fantasy and reality and the pain of unrequited longing.

 

The democratic world of the innocents" by Chukwuemeka Okigbo: The law stipulated a clear age limit... (I flipped over to the end) exploited by older people.

-Micheal Bello.

 

         Micheal Bello's Love's Transient is a tale of forbidden love and complex relationships. Micheal’s protagonist's affair with her sister's husband unfolds in a courtroom drama exploring themes of desire, betrayal and the fleeting nature of love. It's a heartrending reflection on the consequences of passion. In Love's Transient, the protagonist grapples with the aftermath of a forbidden affair. It is not uncommon for older relatives in Nigeria to take in younger ones from the villages in order to give them a better lifestyle. The narrative explores the tension between desire and morality, as well as the impact of societal expectations in modern day Nigeria. It's a compelling exploration of love's complexities and the choices we make.

 

Love in the January edition of the Journal is full of contradictions- Ajayi’s lover needs to be romanticised again,  Penuella’s heroine is dumped again after a one-night stand.  Her allure no longer works magic, and the entrancing look in Augusta’s protagonist’s eyes hold a secret. The selectively mute unnamed character is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/PTSD having witnessed a war. Her memories are not far removed from the emotional trauma Clement’s persona in These Feet Are Not Too Feeble To Fly has gone through, but Clement’s eagle-protagonist has learned for experience:

 

an eagle’s flight/ from doubt is theanchorage that fills its belly/

with a surge of fulfilment.

-Clement Abayomi

 

Clement Abayomi's These Feet Are Not Too Feeble to Fly delves into themes of self-doubt and resilience. The poem reflects on overcoming past traumas and finding strength in vulnerability. It is a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity for growth and transformation.

 

The journey continues with Trycent's poem capturing the struggle of an aeroplane unable to fly. We feel for Trycent perpetually grounded ‘aeroplane’ which cannot fly due to lack of fuel or hunger. Trycent Millimo's Invisible Runway is a metaphorical exploration of dreams and aspirations. The poem reflects on the challenges of pursuing one's goals, using the imagery of an Invisible Runway

to symbolise the journey of self-discovery and perseverance.

 

In Invisible Runway, Trycent Millimo captures the struggle of navigating life's uncertainties. The poem's vivid multi-sensory imagery recreate the sound of aeroplanes and connote the picture of runways. But additionally, it serves as a metaphor for the pursuit of dreams, highlighting the resilience required to overcome obstacles and achieve one's aspirations.

 

In I Am a Peregrine Falcon by Abubakar Meek Sesay, the narrator embodies the freedom of a falcon. The poem contrasts the weight of the world below with the liberation of flight. It captures the essence of seeing life from a new perspective, untethered and free. Abu Bakarr's work reflects a soul in flight, untethered and free.

A soul in flight/ Seeing all but tethered to none.

-Abubakarr Meek Sesay.

Sola’s poem sums it up with the sojourner who must always be on his guard and ignore side chat-

 

Hold as shield your skin/Against the elements.

-Sola Ajibogere.

 

Sola Ajibogere's The Lonely Passage is a meditation on solitude and resilience. The poem advises the sojourner to shield against life's challenges and to journey with introspection. It is a call to embrace the path of self-discovery despite the storms that may come; Sola's poem advises the sojourner to shield against life's elements, while Ogechukwu Uzoezie's classroom poem highlights unity and resilience.

 

I won’t forget the luscious poem of Ajayi Oluwasegun ever. Ajayi’s Savannah Serenade is a poetic exploration of desire and nature. The poem paints vivid imagery of a lover's longing, comparing it to the hunt and the dance of the Savannah. It's a celebration of passion and the beauty of the natural world.

 

 

Come, let me spread your velvet coat as my bed sheet tonight.

-Ajayi Oluwasegun Samsun.

 

In Small London, Isaac Aju reflects on the pride and misconceptions surrounding Abiriba, known as the Small London by exploring the concept of ‘People and Place’ through a dissection of the cultural identity of the Igbos from Abiriba, Nigeria, a community known for its business acumen. This short story examines the duality of identity, and the richness of cultural heritage  explored in the 2006 novel, Half Of A Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi. Isaac’s short narrative delves into the historic stereotypical portrayal of the Igbo tribe as commercially driven and wealthy. But by contrast in Half Of A Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi, these sentiments which were a precursor to the Biafran War (1967-1970) between the Hausas, Yorubas /Nigerian and the Igbo-Biafrans now provoke both admiration and banter from other Nigerians in Isacc’s story. The theme, the pride of heritage, highlights the complexities of Igbo identity and the communal spirit that defines this vibrant community.

 

However, Isaac lives in a place that misrepresents its inhabitants. Not everyone in Small London is wealthy. The impact of socio-economic hardship is exemplified in Michael Bello's poem: Geometry of Childhood,

 

And that child crawls again, four years old,

while the plain, once green, now lies grey and desolate.

-Micheal Bello.


Micheal’s poem additionally captures the innocence and wonder of youth. It reflects on the simple joys and profound discoveries of childhood, juxtaposing them with the complexities of adulthood. It's a nostalgic journey through the eyes of a child. In Geometry of Childhood, Michael Bello explores the transition from innocence to experience. The poem captures the bittersweet nature of growing up as childhood memories fade into the responsibilities of adulthood. It's an emotional reflection on the passage of time as in Augusta Augustus’ flash fiction.

 

Augusta Augustus' The. Library of Lost Memories is a haunting tale of trauma and survival. The protagonist, a war survivor, grapples with the weight of memories and the struggle to find her voice. It's a powerful exploration of loss, resilience and the human spirit. In The Library of Lost Memories, Augusta Augustus delves into the impact of war on personal identity. The protagonist's journey through trauma and silence is a testament to the enduring power of memory and the quest for healing. It’s a moving narrative of hope and recovery.

 

Sadly, the affair in Penuella Okwu's Love Is Transient which explores the fleeting nature of love through the story of Eloise and Andrew is over.

Their relationship, marked by passion and separation, reflects the impermanence of human connections. It's a piercing reminder of love's transient beauty. In Love is Transient, Penuela Okwu captures the complexity of love and loss. Eloise's struggle to let go of Andrew highlights the tension between desire and acceptance.

This narrative invites readers to reflect on the nature of love and the inevitability of change.

 

But in Ogechukwu’s poem, In the classroom, we are all the same, bound by the spark that refuses to die. Love is an equaliser, a leveller. Furthermore, Ogechukwu Uzoezie's Classroom Politics is a celebration of the bond between teacher and student. The poem reflects on the shared journey of learning and growth, highlighting the timeless connection that transcends age and circumstance. It's a tribute to the power of education. In Classroom Politics, Ogichukwu Uzoezi explores the dynamics of the classroom as a microcosm of society. The poem captures the rhythm of learning and the shared pursuit of knowledge, emphasising the unity and diversity within educational spaces.

 

Indeed, www.ellaspoems.com is a project that projects the need for lifelong learning through reading, if all in sub-Saharan Africa are to achieve their full potential.

 

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Featured Writer- Bridgette James

A comparative analysis of English Language Use by creatives in two countries in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, by Bridgette James.

Hypothesis:

Any discussion of ethnolinguistic factors affecting language proficiency cannot be premised without examining the meaning of language. Cambridge Dictionary Online (2023) puts forward a concise definition that would be used in this paper: a system made up of phonemes, words, and grammar rules on how to use that particular language. An emphasis on maintaining a system of rules and standards in order to convey meaning in language is a persuasive argument (Open Learn, 2024).  The language under discussion here is the English used in two sub-Saharan countries, Sierra Leone, English 01 and Malawi, English 02.

Language had two of the meta functions first recognised by Thompson (2014 in Open Learn (2024)  in the creative pieces studied from March 2022 to December 2023: ideational and textual roles. In the poetry and stories analysed writers utilised English language to fictionally represent the world visualised in their imagination to convey written messages in textual forms.

In creative writing a speaker’s language is presumed to influence their thoughts and conceptualisation of ideas, validating the theory purported by German linguist Johann  Georg  Hamann (1905 cited in  De Gruyter Mouton 1968). Wilhelm von Humboldt discuss. Humboldt and Herder reportedly saw an alignment between language use and behavioural patterns affected by the speaker’s culture. Culture here is synonymous with how individuals from the same language community use the language under consideration based on recurrent themes and expressions in their writing. (Britannica, accessed 2023) This research concerns itself with factors affecting proficiency in English language based on common behaviours in aforenamed communities and from henceforth referred to as English 01 and English 02.

History of how English arrived in the chosen communities

​

To give a historical overview, English was transported to Malawi via the similar route of colonisation by Britian and the establishment of English speaking mainly missionary schools on whose premises school age children in  both nations were  taught in English. (Matiki, 2001; accessed in 2024.) A notable feature of the way English arrived in Sierra Leone was through the deportation of freed slaves…

 

Miriam Conteh-Morgan (1997) highlighted the lack of extensive sociological research into the use of English language in Sierra Leone; she argued that it may be due to an [erroneous] perception that English is a native Sierra Leonean language spoken by the Krios. Conteh-Morgan distinguishes the English spoken in Sierra Leone from the native speaker variety- the variation spoken in Sierra Leone has been influenced by indigenous languages. My research unearthed the influence of the Krio language on English evidenced by the lack of subject-verb number coordination in the third person singular in the material of a large cohort of creative writers studied from March 2022 to December 2023.

Role English plays in Malawi

​

To quote A. J. Matiki (2001), English was given official status in 1968 in Malawi when the government designated it as an official language. Mikiti has argues that assigning English such a high status has effectively led to the marginalisation of non-English speakers in the country. My contradictory argument centres on the need for Malawian creative writers to increase the frequency of English use in order to attain proficiency. This research shows a direct link between the use of the language for lengthy periods per day and a demonstration of level of proficiency required for writers.

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