Reclaiming African literature in the digital age: an exploration of online literary platforms

It is impossible to deny that across the continent – from Saraba Magazine11 http://sarabamag.com/ in Nigeria to Kenya-based collective Jalada,22 https://jaladaafrica.org/2014/06/10/sext-me-poems-and-stories/ there is a rise in online platforms for publishing and consuming literature from Africa. Within this digital landscape there are digital initiatives such as 3Bute33 http://3bute.com/ and Okadabooks44 http://okadabooks.com/ – and let’s not forget blogs, such as US-based Brittle Paper55 http://brittlepaper.com/ – who curate African literary content for readers. Even publishers, such as Nigeria-based Cassava Republic, are focusing more on digital literature with the launch of Ankara Press66 http://www.ankarapress.com/ and its digital distribution of romance novels. These different platforms connect readers to new writing on the continent – writing that more accurately reflects their own lived realities – and in innovative ways. They also all play a key role in shaping the way that African fiction is produced and consumed within Africa, as well as in the Diaspora. Bearing in mind these changes, this article explores the landscape of online literary platforms in Africa and the role they play in shaping the contemporary African literary scene. It does this by drawing on secondary sources, as well as primary interviews with key players in the field to get further insight into this rise. Having established this, the paper hones in on African languages, and how digital technologies have enabled the production of multiple languages simultaneously for readers in various African countries. Through this, the article suggests that digital platforms give importance and value to Africans when it comes to the production and consumption of African literature.