Does their work share certain characteristics—is there a Nigerian sensibility?
Yes, I think there is a kind of political awareness in Nigerians, mostly because things are not going very well. You cannot be unaware of things not being the way they should be, and that becomes a subject for you to write about. It’s a way of expressing your anger, your disappointment, while not being too prescriptive or analytical. If you compare a Nigerian writer with an American writer, then you understand what I’m saying. In America, you wouldn’t concentrate so much on politics; they’re not as dominant in the culture. Of course there are politics in the West, but the anger is not on the same level. How well informed are Americans about the Nigerian civil war or the nation’s culture? Not very. Of course you meet people who are specialized, who teach African issues, so they know about these things. But in the general public, people might be vaguely aware of something called Biafra. You see that Americans get their information from CNN, not from books, and this media tend to tell you
