A bold new trend is reshaping African literature as celebrated novels originally written in African languages are being translated into English. This movement, highlighted by the University of Georgia Press’s new series, reverses the traditional flow of translation and amplifies stories as they were first imagined. A landmark example is Ignatius Mabasa’s acclaimed Shona novel, Mapenzi, now available in English as The Mad. First published in 1999, Mapenzi captured Zimbabwe’s turbulent post-independence reality with sharp humor and poetic prose, cementing Mabasa as a champion of indigenous storytelling. While translation challenges remain—especially in honoring Shona’s idioms and rhythms—the project underscores literature’s role in decolonization. This vital shift promises greater global visibility for Africa’s vernacular imagination, ensuring its rich literary textures reach a wider world.
The Conversation
