The Ubiquitous Figure of the Child Soldier
Interviews with African Writers, Academics and Cultural Activists followed by a Comprehensive Bibliography
Published on 21. November 2019
Book
Paperback/Softback
238 pages
978-3-86821-826-8 (ISBN)
Description
Over the last twenty years, African child soldiers have been a seminal topic in the media and in literature. In narrative genres such as testimony, fiction and film, the persona of the war child has become a trope, a figure of meaning with varying connotations. African and Afrodiasporic authors and filmmakers with roots in different regions of the continent use different narrative, rhetorical and visual aesthetic strategies to represent child soldiers and contribute to an alternative discourse on this ubiquitous figure that goes beyond Western mainstream media.
The interviews presented in this collection feature the opinions of academic teachers, scholars, writers, filmmakers, journalists and readers based in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and different diasporic locations who have worked on the topic in creative or analytical ways in order to explore African perceptions of the literary, medial and cinematic boom on the African child soldier. The interviews offer important insights into the reception of the child soldier figure and its ambiguities in Africa, while they also show the social urgency on the continent to deal with the aftermaths of wars and their collective traumata in a productive way. Throughout many of the conversations, the difficult balancing act of writing about the reality of child soldiers without perpetuating stereotypes about Africa as well as aspects of commodification are discussed.
By now, a multitude of novels, short-stories, plays, testimonial texts, documentaries and fiction films, but also numerous research articles, reviews and dissertations have been published on the topic of the African child soldier. As a relevant tool for further research, the book offers a comprehensive bibliography of this vast body of literature and film material.
With contributions by Newton Aduaka, Richard Ali, Babatunde Ayeleru, Rotimi Babatunde, Sule E. Egya, Susanne Gehrmann, Helon Habila, Elnathan John, José Mufula, Antoine Mulenda, Wilfried N'Sondé, Remy Oriaku, Femi Osofisan, Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, Zaynab Quadri, Ramonu Sanusi, Charlott Schönwetter, Eddie Tambwe, Abdourahman A. Waberi and Lye M. Yoka.
The interviews presented in this collection feature the opinions of academic teachers, scholars, writers, filmmakers, journalists and readers based in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and different diasporic locations who have worked on the topic in creative or analytical ways in order to explore African perceptions of the literary, medial and cinematic boom on the African child soldier. The interviews offer important insights into the reception of the child soldier figure and its ambiguities in Africa, while they also show the social urgency on the continent to deal with the aftermaths of wars and their collective traumata in a productive way. Throughout many of the conversations, the difficult balancing act of writing about the reality of child soldiers without perpetuating stereotypes about Africa as well as aspects of commodification are discussed.
By now, a multitude of novels, short-stories, plays, testimonial texts, documentaries and fiction films, but also numerous research articles, reviews and dissertations have been published on the topic of the African child soldier. As a relevant tool for further research, the book offers a comprehensive bibliography of this vast body of literature and film material.
With contributions by Newton Aduaka, Richard Ali, Babatunde Ayeleru, Rotimi Babatunde, Sule E. Egya, Susanne Gehrmann, Helon Habila, Elnathan John, José Mufula, Antoine Mulenda, Wilfried N'Sondé, Remy Oriaku, Femi Osofisan, Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, Zaynab Quadri, Ramonu Sanusi, Charlott Schönwetter, Eddie Tambwe, Abdourahman A. Waberi and Lye M. Yoka.
More details
Series
Language
English
French
Place of publication
Trier
Germany
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Card cover
Dimensions
Height: 21 cm
Width: 14.8 cm
Weight
387 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-86821-826-8 (9783868218268)
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Content
Contents
Introduction
Talking about Child Soldiers in Literature, Film and Society.
Lessons from African Writers, Academics and Cultural Activists ...................... 1
SUSANNE GEHRMANN AND CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Interviews
Berlin
"It was a whole journey to very, very dark places." ........................................... 13
NEWTON ADUAKA INTERVIEWED BY
SUSANNE GEHRMANN AND CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Violence has a way of captivating the attention of human beings." ................. 33
SULE EMMANUEL EGYA INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
« Ça nous touche et c'est pour ça qu'on en parle. » ............................................ 44
ABDOURAHMAN A. WABERI INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
"How do I write beyond that suffering?" ........................................................... 60
HELON HABILA INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"One of the missing pieces in the narrative about how young men
end up as foot soldiers in extremist camps is the socialisation of boys." ........... 70
ELNATHAN JOHN INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Ibadan
"We should rather see the literature on child soldiers as a warning signal." ...... 77
RAMONU SANUSI INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Once it becomes an item of commerce, I lose interest." .................................. 85
FEMI OSOFISAN INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Literature often originates from a reality,
it can reflect on things which are actually going on." ........................................ 91
BABATUNDE AYELERU INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"There is a very thin line between fiction and reality." ...................................... 99
ADEREMI RAJI-OYELADE INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Africa is no paradise, but everywhere in the world,
it is hell in unique, specific ways." .................................................................. 105
ROTIMI BABATUNDE INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"It puts a big question mark on the future." ..................................................... 112
REMY ORIAKU INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Lagos
"There is a market for it abroad." .................................................................... 125
ZAYNAB QUADRI INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Kinshasa
« La réintégration dans la société est toujours très difficile
et cela est plus vrai qu'un roman. » .................................................................. 131
ANTOINE MULENDA INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« La place de l'enfant n'est pas dans l'armée. » ................................................ 139
JOSUÉ MUFULA INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« Ce sont des enfants qui ont vécu des drames. » ............................................ 152
RICHARD ALI INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« Pour moi, un enfant ne peut pas être un soldat. » ......................................... 159
EDDIE TAMBWE INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« On ne guérit pas d'une cicatrice ; elle laisse des traces,
c'est un tatouage qui nous reste au coeur. » ...................................................... 166
LYE M. YOKA INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
Paris
« L'évocation de la violence ne doit pas dominer. » ........................................ 179
WILFRIED N'SONDÉ INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
Bibliography .................................................................................................. 188
Introduction
Talking about Child Soldiers in Literature, Film and Society.
Lessons from African Writers, Academics and Cultural Activists ...................... 1
SUSANNE GEHRMANN AND CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Interviews
Berlin
"It was a whole journey to very, very dark places." ........................................... 13
NEWTON ADUAKA INTERVIEWED BY
SUSANNE GEHRMANN AND CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Violence has a way of captivating the attention of human beings." ................. 33
SULE EMMANUEL EGYA INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
« Ça nous touche et c'est pour ça qu'on en parle. » ............................................ 44
ABDOURAHMAN A. WABERI INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
"How do I write beyond that suffering?" ........................................................... 60
HELON HABILA INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"One of the missing pieces in the narrative about how young men
end up as foot soldiers in extremist camps is the socialisation of boys." ........... 70
ELNATHAN JOHN INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Ibadan
"We should rather see the literature on child soldiers as a warning signal." ...... 77
RAMONU SANUSI INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Once it becomes an item of commerce, I lose interest." .................................. 85
FEMI OSOFISAN INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Literature often originates from a reality,
it can reflect on things which are actually going on." ........................................ 91
BABATUNDE AYELERU INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"There is a very thin line between fiction and reality." ...................................... 99
ADEREMI RAJI-OYELADE INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"Africa is no paradise, but everywhere in the world,
it is hell in unique, specific ways." .................................................................. 105
ROTIMI BABATUNDE INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
"It puts a big question mark on the future." ..................................................... 112
REMY ORIAKU INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Lagos
"There is a market for it abroad." .................................................................... 125
ZAYNAB QUADRI INTERVIEWED BY CHARLOTT SCHÖNWETTER
Kinshasa
« La réintégration dans la société est toujours très difficile
et cela est plus vrai qu'un roman. » .................................................................. 131
ANTOINE MULENDA INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« La place de l'enfant n'est pas dans l'armée. » ................................................ 139
JOSUÉ MUFULA INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« Ce sont des enfants qui ont vécu des drames. » ............................................ 152
RICHARD ALI INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« Pour moi, un enfant ne peut pas être un soldat. » ......................................... 159
EDDIE TAMBWE INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
« On ne guérit pas d'une cicatrice ; elle laisse des traces,
c'est un tatouage qui nous reste au coeur. » ...................................................... 166
LYE M. YOKA INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
Paris
« L'évocation de la violence ne doit pas dominer. » ........................................ 179
WILFRIED N'SONDÉ INTERVIEWÉ PAR SUSANNE GEHRMANN
Bibliography .................................................................................................. 188