THE DEPENDENCY SYNDROME Vs WRITING FOR OURSELVES

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Having been a teacher of English Language and Literature for over twenty years, I cannot help but register disappointment at the number of ‘foreign books’ that are continually featured on the Zambian syllabus. Well, I would not blame anybody. I too was schooled in these great books: ‘A Wreath for Udomo’ by Peter Abrahams, was a lengthy text that I had to master back to back in addition to the regulars in the curriculum. What can one expect in a country where not many people are writing? Actually there is nothing wrong with using text books from other countries, isn’t that what Literature is about- the study of anything artistic and of value?  There is everything wrong with not having our own local products being ‘glorified’ in like manner. If the study of literature helps one to learn about other people’s cultures and traditions, then it can be safely said that high school students of literature have adequate knowledge of the Ibo culture as ably outlined in ‘Things Fall Apart’, a book that has hardly left the Zambian syllabus for years. There is need to create and develop a Zambian Genre in order to propagate our own ways of life and traditional beliefs for the future generations. Readers and learners alike will grow interest in works that they are familiar with while creating a seedbed of knowledge that they will pass on for generations to come. There is great history, rich culture and warm traditions that Zambia has to share, not just among its citizens but with the rest of the world. If we are headed ‘Toward a Zambian genre’, then we can do better than once in a while having only two or three books written by Zambians. We appreciate books like ‘Tongue of the Dumb’ by Dominic Mulaisho and ‘Quills of Desire’ by Binwell Sinyangwe. However, there is need for a crop of writers who will compete favourably for space on the literature syllabus. This way we can finally move away from learners being so well vested in the ways of other people and becoming professors of their own culture, languages and traditions. The school syllabus itself is fertile ground where the literary arts can be developed and a place where with time, a Zambian genre can be harvested. It is a good habit to read widely, for who can ever forget the hilarious ‘Government Inspector’ by Nikolai Gogol and the amazing ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell’? However, a nation should identify its own literary works, and learners and readers alike should pride themselves in what is truly theirs. Despite the challenges, if people are encouraged to write for the national syllabus, imagine what great strides we would make ‘Toward a Zambian Genre’.