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Chapter 10. Namibian literature in English

An overview
  • Kerstin Frank
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The Dynamics of English in Namibia
This chapter is in the book The Dynamics of English in Namibia

Abstract

This essay provides a survey of Namibian literature written in English both before and after independence in 1990, but with a focus on post-independence writing. The survey is structured by genre categories, starting with autobiographies, novels and short stories and continuing with drama and poetry. In each section, important authors and anthologies are briefly named and selected works are given more detailed attention. While aiming at a general overview of Namibian literature, this essay puts particular focus on the way the texts negotiate the topic of personal and national identity, either with reference to the country’s colonial past and the liberation struggle or regarding contemporary society and its social inequalities, contrasts and cultural diversity.

Abstract

This essay provides a survey of Namibian literature written in English both before and after independence in 1990, but with a focus on post-independence writing. The survey is structured by genre categories, starting with autobiographies, novels and short stories and continuing with drama and poetry. In each section, important authors and anthologies are briefly named and selected works are given more detailed attention. While aiming at a general overview of Namibian literature, this essay puts particular focus on the way the texts negotiate the topic of personal and national identity, either with reference to the country’s colonial past and the liberation struggle or regarding contemporary society and its social inequalities, contrasts and cultural diversity.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Chapter 1. The dynamics of English in Namibia 1
  5. Part I. Setting the scene
  6. Chapter 2. English in Namibia 21
  7. Part II. Communicative practices
  8. Chapter 3. Voices from the post-independence classroom 45
  9. Chapter 4. English and multilingual repertoires in healthcare 63
  10. Chapter 5. The linguistic landscape and soundscape of Windhoek 83
  11. Part III. Linguistic features
  12. Chapter 6. The phonetics of Namibian English 111
  13. Chapter 7. Broadcasting your variety 135
  14. Chapter 8. The question of structural nativization in Namibian English 169
  15. Chapter 9. A variational pragmatic approach to responses to thanks in Namibian English 195
  16. Part IV. Literary creativity in Namibian English
  17. Chapter 10. Namibian literature in English 219
  18. Chapter 11. A land in transition 241
  19. Part V. Namibian English and beyond
  20. Chapter 12. The dynamics of English in Namibia 275
  21. Index 299
https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g65.10fra

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Chapter 1. The dynamics of English in Namibia 1
  5. Part I. Setting the scene
  6. Chapter 2. English in Namibia 21
  7. Part II. Communicative practices
  8. Chapter 3. Voices from the post-independence classroom 45
  9. Chapter 4. English and multilingual repertoires in healthcare 63
  10. Chapter 5. The linguistic landscape and soundscape of Windhoek 83
  11. Part III. Linguistic features
  12. Chapter 6. The phonetics of Namibian English 111
  13. Chapter 7. Broadcasting your variety 135
  14. Chapter 8. The question of structural nativization in Namibian English 169
  15. Chapter 9. A variational pragmatic approach to responses to thanks in Namibian English 195
  16. Part IV. Literary creativity in Namibian English
  17. Chapter 10. Namibian literature in English 219
  18. Chapter 11. A land in transition 241
  19. Part V. Namibian English and beyond
  20. Chapter 12. The dynamics of English in Namibia 275
  21. Index 299
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