‘The Story Comes With Its Own Style’

Essayist and author of ‘Zata Iya: A History of Hausa Feminist Writings’, Sada Malumfashi, has always wondered ‘how different and more diverse the stories of the first-generation Hausa novels would have been if women also participated in the writing process.

Written by Sada Malumfashi

Feb 26, 2020

Sada Malumfashi. OJIMA ABALAKA

Our questions are italicized.

What books or kinds of books did you read growing up?

I grew up surrounded by Hausa literature. I learnt to read in Hausa before I knew how to read in English. My bedtime stories were tales from Abubakar Imam’s Magana Jari Ce, and when I got tired of having to wait for my father to read these stories to me, I began to learn how to read for myself. I would go on to devour all the Abubakar Imam collections in my father’s library. After, I read all the first-generation Hausa novels from the 1930s; then, as a pre-teen, I got interested in Hausa romance novels, which I could read in one sitting. During my secondary school days, I got introduced to Nigerian literature written in English, from Cyprian Ekwensi to Chinua Achebe, and this spiked my interest in other African writers. I soon discovered the works of Wole Soyinka, Abubakar Gimba, and Festus Iyayi, and the poetry of Niyi Osundare, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Christopher Okigbo.

If you could rewrite a classic book, which would it be and why?

I’d rewrite Gandoki by Muhammadu Bello Kagara. Published in 1934, Gandoki is Hausa speculative fiction in which a brave man opposes the imposition of British rule in northern Nigeria with other mythical creatures. In rewriting this book, I’d make Gandokia a female character fighting the British imposition with her daughter in mythical northern Nigeria. I’ve always wondered how different and more diverse the stories of first-generation Hausa novels would have been if women also participated in the writing process.

What is one misconception people have about Hausa literature?

The biggest misconception people have about Hausa literature is actually its erasure. People think Hausa writing is something new, or that it’s just about romance books in the streets of Kano. The first generation of Hausa novels written in the Roman script was published in the 1930s, a while before Nigerian literature in English became popular. Even before the introduction of the roman alphabets, Hausa authors wrote in the Arabic script. So, there has always been a literary tradition in Hausa, and one that goes as far back as the 16th century.

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About the Author

Sada Malumfashi

is a writer from Kaduna, Nigeria. He curates the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival.

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‘The Story Comes With Its Own Style’