Great African Reads discussion

We’ll be reading Bombay's Republic by Rotimi Babatunde between 1-15th October. Babatunde, a Nigerian writer and playwright was awarded the Caine Prize in 2012.

For anyone interested, there is a PEN America interview with Babatunde where he discusses his prize-winning short story.

I just finished Rotimi Babatunde's short story Bombay's Republic (here is the link to the pdf-file) and I really enjoyed it.

The absurdity of wars, even more those fought by African soldiers for their colonial masters in far away countries, is well captured by Babatunde. Just like the meaningless of life after returning home.

The "opening of boxes" that were closed before the war, showing possibilities that were unknow for colonized people, is indeed a crucial step towards independence movements accross Africa. A "forgotten" or rather "neglected" part of WWII, but important for former British colonies in Africa, as Babatunde describes in the PEN America interview (thanks for mentioning the interview, Priyanka!)

I loved this short story, encapsulating the war effort of many Nigerians and other Africans alike in the life and travails of Sergeant Bombay. It is after all the story of a man whose horizons are broadened by his war experiences. But whose experiences in the end catch up with him in the absurdity of his post-war life. Great to see such literary contributions giving credit to the many black servicemen in the Second World War.