The Turn of the Millennium and the Future

The Turn of the Millennium and the Future

The challenge of home video affected Hausa literature in another way by creating

mistrust between the established authors (most of who are now into movies). While the

established authors, through their association, especially ANA, are scouting for and

encouraging new writers to join the association and attend the monthly readings, the latter

are skeptical that their ideas might be stolen by the older writers who are buoyant enough

to publish before them. A lot of sensitisation, persuasion and motivation were done to

convince them that it is in their own interest to be part of the mainstream. They later

agreed to join ANA but also form their local associations.

The most influential among the new set are Muhammad Lawan Barista (Saqon Mutuwa)

Kabiru Yusuf Anka (Qarfin Hali) Iliyasu Maikuxi Kuma (Baya ba Zane). Other equally

important authors of this generation include Abdullahi Hassan Yarima Aminu Anhu

Ibrahim Birniwa and Maje el Hajeej. The opening of the new millennium has also

produced a flood of female writers with a large body of female fans because they are

women writing , and for women. Female authors like Fauziya D Sulaiman, Lubabatu

Ya’u Babura (Lubaba), Saliha Abubakar Zaria, Sa’adatu Baba Fagge, Nafisa Muda

Lawan, Halima B. H. Aliyu, Hadiza Bello Bungudu, Zulfa’u Aliyu, Umma Sulaiman

‘Yan Awaki, Jamila Umar Tanko, Halima Abdullahi K/Mashi, Maryam Ibrahim Mashi,

Hadiza Abdullahi, Hadiza Salisu Sharif and Zahra’u Baba Yakasai became instant

celebrities among readers.

A number of new Hausa Writers’ Associations have emerged, this is because, new group

of young authors have emerged and the old associations no longer function, except ANA

which continues to be the umbrella association of authors in Nigeria. These associations

are:

Hausa Authors’ Forum (HAF)

Hausa Writers’Association of Nigeria (HAWAN)

Brigade Authors’ Forum (BAF)

Kallabi Writers’Association (KWA)

Nigerian Indigenous Writers’Association (NILWA)

Mace Mutum Writers’Association

While all the new associations are of mixed sexes, two of the new associations are

female-only namely Kallabi and Mace Mutum. At the moment, Kallabi has slowed down,

but Mace Mutum which is dominated by young female writers has just begun its

activities and has produced the first all-female Hausa anthology of short stories. The

Association is led by a young lady, Rahama Majid.

Within this period, ANA created new branches in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Jigawa and

Kebbi States, these are the centres of Hausa literary production. The local associations

and ANA continue to produce works in Hausa which are better and greatly appreciated.

The expansion of the activities of Hausa Authors has led to the first international

conference between Hausa writers in Nigeria and Niger republic in 2006 and from then

on, a number of conferences have been organised and held in both Nigeria and Niger

republics. In 2010, ANA Kano produced the first ever anthology of Hausa short stories,

poetry and play titled, Kwaryar Kira and edited by Yusuf Adamu and Ado Ahmad Gidan

Dabino.

Conclusion

The home video flame has settled, the state censorship has ceased, the unfriendly literary

critics have succumbed to the endless energy of modern Hausa prose-fiction, that they

have now started serious studies on the subject and a number of undergraduate projects,

masters and even doctoral theses have been produced. The quality of the books in terms

of contents, size and finishing has also improved, but the market is still not as to be

expected. So, despite the achievements, Hausa prose-fiction is far from the dream authors

want it to be. There are a number of reasons that militate against it. For instance, state

structure has yet to take the whole movement seriously, in that the Kano State Library

Board (the custodian of Kano State collections on arts and literature) does not have a

collection of the new Hausa writing. The same goes for other libraries in institutions.

There is lack of organisation and strong economic base in the publishing industry. But

Hausa novelists are not sleeping, they keep devising new means and strategies to face all

obstacles and one can, without fear of contradiction, say that modern Hausa prose-fiction

saved Hausa literature from extinction and has helped in ensuring a vibrant African

literature in African languages by Africans, for the world.