Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin Anthology of Contemporary African Writing [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Rob Spillman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

A one-of-a-kind collection showcasing the energy of new African literature

Coming at a time when Africa and African writers are in the midst of a remarkable renaissance, Gods and Soldiers captures the vitality and urgency of African writing today. With stories from northern Arabic-speaking to southern Zulu-speaking writers, this collection conveys thirty different ways of approaching what it means to be African. Whether about life in the new urban melting pots of Cape Town and Luanda, or amid the battlefield chaos of Zimbabwe and Somalia, or set in the imaginary surreal landscapes born out of the oral storytelling tradition, these stories represent a striking cross section of extraordinary writing. Including works by J. M. Coetzee, Chimamanda Adichie, Nuruddin Farah, Binyavanga Wainaina, and Chinua Achebe, and edited by Rob Spillman of Tin House magazine, Gods and Soldiers features many pieces never before published, making it a vibrant and essential glimpse of Africa as it enters the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Spillman, editor and cofounder of lit journal Tin House, brings together a diaspora full of urgency and possibility, featuring recent fiction and nonfiction (mostly fiction) from 30 African authors. First up is Chinua Achebe, author of the groundbreaking Things Fall Apart, looking at North African writers often excluded from the canon, reminding readers that Africa is far from homogeneous (entries come translated from Arabic, Zulu, French and other languages). Each piece finds a human story to illuminate the continent's history of plight and promise, turning up a range of voices: Helon Habila's breathtaking tale of a political prisoner forced to write poems for the prison superintendent's girlfriend; a scene from Ngugi wa Thong'o's novel Wizard of the Crow depicting an Orwellian celebration for an unnamed ruler; Patrice Nganang's essay The Senghor Complex examining the influence of poet Léopold Senghor, Senegal's first president ([for] writers of my generation, he's everyone's grandfather). This collection sheds light on a multifarious continent too often thought of in one-size-fits-all terms. (May)
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About the Author

Rob Spillman is editor and cofounder of Tin House, a bicoastal literary magazine, executive editor of Tin House Books, and cofounder of the Tin House Literary Festival. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Rolling Stone, and Salon, among others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143114735
• ASIN: B002PJ4LEA
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,335,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular, May 15, 2009

By 

Barbra Tarkenton (Simsbury, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin Anthology of Contemporary African Writing (Paperback)

This is a spectacular collection of prose, and is smartly arranged--it starts with someone we've all heard of, "Things Fall Apart" author Chinua Achebe, and then introduces us to lots of new voices, as well as reacquainting us with some familiar ones like Nadine Gordimer and J.M. Coetzee. Mia Coutu's essay on "Languages We Don't Know", which references Joyce's idea of chaosmology,is profound. This is a fabulous introduction to contemporary African writing.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction into 21st Century African Talent, August 24, 2010

By 

Blusuede (NYC, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin Anthology of Contemporary African Writing (Paperback)

The editor of this piece likely tried to strike a balance between introducing readers to new voices while also including well-known names -- older coots like Achebe, Coetzee and Gordimer. This is quite a smart decision from the marketing standpoint but readers suffer for it. The well-known writers (to the average Western audiencemember) seem flat and outdated here, even stagnant. In contrast, lesser lights like Alain Mabanckou, Jose Agualusa and Mia Couto knock our socks off -- even in translation! Nevertheless, get this book and read it so you can learn about the richly talented literatures of Africa awaiting you. The short tour of Northern, Eastern, Western, Francophone, Portuguese-speaking and Southern African regions will have you scouring the internet and bookstores for more.

5.0 out of 5 stars A top pick for any library strong in African representation, October 15, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin Anthology of Contemporary African Writing (Paperback)

GODS AND SOLDIERS: THE PENGUIN ANTHOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN WRITING is a top pick for any library strong in African representation. It provides stories reflecting the modern continent's concerns and experiences - some thirty - and reflects different cultures and perspectives across the continent.