African Literature consists of a work in different languages and genres, in which you can found oral and written material in colonial languages.

The beginnings of African literature started with ancient Egyptians with their knowledge about creating “ papyrus” and written text. But the period of colonization was the most important. Oral literature consist in proverbs, stories, legends, traditions, their ancestors heroic events, myths, songs or histories. To African society it is essential oral literature, so the folktale tellers use call-response techniques using music in their narratives. The written literature took place in inspirations with themes like slavery, legends, racism, old traditions and slave trade. The first work that began to get known in the West part of the world where the novels, stories or publications where written about the horrors already mention. Since the early 19-century, writers from western Africa began to use the newspapers as a way to criticize and to show their feelings against their nation government.

After the World War II, Africa began to fight for their Independence and the writers start to make plays, essays, histories, novels and stories about the hope of a new bright future and the pride to be African.

The period called Post-Achebe African Literature was a time that African writers has the possibility to get known worldwide matters.

Notes Literature Class, 2013.