My name is Idris Hamza Yana and I am a PhD student in the Department of English, University of Exeter. My research focuses on the place of women in fictional works that discuss Kenyan colonisation, decolonisation and post-independence politics. I am looking at the participation of women in those periods of social, political, cultural and economic turbulence.

I have been interested in fictional works by women ever since I can remember. I became more interested in them during my undergraduate studies when I took a module called ‘Women Writers’ which featured prominent women writers from different parts of Africa. After teaching literature, at advanced and undergraduate levels, for about a decade what I have learned so far is the different, yet similar, experiences of women under patriarchy that these writers portray.

I have selected the following seven writers for this series - Bessie Head, Flora Nwapa, Grace Ogot, Mariama Bâ, Nawal El Sadaawi, Rebeka Njau and Zaynab Alkali. The fact that they came from different regions, religions and cultural backgrounds, and that the issues they address reflect their particular circumstances, further strengthens the fact that what is termed ‘modern African literature’ is far from being homogeneous, as some assume. More importantly, these authors bring to the fore, and address, issues that affect womanhood in postcolonial Africa. Given their immense contribution in that regard, these writers deserve a special mentioning.

See the full programme of University of Exeter Black History Month events here.