The Black Woman Speaks

Florence Nwapa (1931–1993) was a Nigerian author who has been called the Mother of Modern African literature . She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and was the first Anglophone writer to be published in England. Her very first novel Efuru won her critical acclaim. Nwapa creates and breathes life into the world of Ibo women who remain central to her creative genius. She is also remembered for her incredible work during the Biafran war where she helped rehabilitate countless orphans and refugees. Buchi Emecheta (1944 – 2017)was a Nigerian born novelist, who was based in the UK. She was a prolific writer having over twenty titles to her credit which included plays, an autobiography and children’s books. Emecheta's themes of child slavery, motherhood, female independence and freedom through education gained recognition worldwide. In juxtaposing the novels of these acclaimed writers, I have tried to put the focus back on the challenges faced by women – both as writersand within their societal frameworks which remain largely patriarchal. Nwapa and Emecheta are forerunners in their field and can be safely termed as the Mothers of African Anglophone Fiction. By showcasing their novels, one can trace the journey of the Ibo woman in the Pre- Colonial times, her role in the Colonial periodand her avatar in the modern times.Though the novels focus on the Ibo women, the tales are universal and have a global appeal.