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Afrikan Alphabets
Sets the record straight about how colonial powers suppressed the rich histories of these alphabets.
- GenresDesignLinguistics
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 19, 2009
Written and designed by a Zimbabwean graphic artist who trained and worked in the USA before returning home, this book is just wonderful. A fascinating read that fills in a few of the gaping holes in my European education.
Most fascinating to read for me was the section on King Ibrahim Njoya who developed a writing called Shü-mom. He compiled a calendar, maps, administrative records and legal codes, pharmacopœia and a “Kama Sutra".
"Not long after he had built a magnificent palace and built schools for his people, the French took control of Cameroon. Their power was threatened by his achievements. They destroyed the printing press that [King Ibrahim Njoya:] invented, destroyed his libraries, and burned many of the books he had written. The French soldiers threw Bamum sacred objects into the street. And finally, in 1931, they sent him into exile in the capital of Yaoundé where he died a broken man in 1933. Over the years, Njoya’s son and his heir Seidou Njimoluh quietly worked to preserve his heritage." [p.83:]
Most fascinating to read for me was the section on King Ibrahim Njoya who developed a writing called Shü-mom. He compiled a calendar, maps, administrative records and legal codes, pharmacopœia and a “Kama Sutra".
"Not long after he had built a magnificent palace and built schools for his people, the French took control of Cameroon. Their power was threatened by his achievements. They destroyed the printing press that [King Ibrahim Njoya:] invented, destroyed his libraries, and burned many of the books he had written. The French soldiers threw Bamum sacred objects into the street. And finally, in 1931, they sent him into exile in the capital of Yaoundé where he died a broken man in 1933. Over the years, Njoya’s son and his heir Seidou Njimoluh quietly worked to preserve his heritage." [p.83:]
November 30, 2008
This was the book begging to be written for just the right scholar. Mafundikwa both understands the importance of this book, wants sincerely to see it written and has the roots and wanderlust to take the samples from primary sources. I use it almost everyday -it's a reference, a bible (small b) a psychiatric jot down of African souls and now I understand why folks spell the continent with a "k" from time to time.
November 13, 2009
I was enthused about the topic but disappointed by the execution. The author is a graphic artist, not a linguist or historian, and what he's put together is not a "story" so much as a scrapbook of curious information, much of it without any context or interpretation. It does have some beautiful illustrations.
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May 19, 2008graphical,artistic, historical and cultural account of writing in Afrika - truly insparational (could be update?)
April 11, 2013
An excellent book and one of a kind, literally as there is no other book that I know of that has soo many indigenous African scripts.
July 26, 2018
I’m a big fan of Nnedi Okorafor’s writing, and the Nsibidi writing system pops up in a few of her books. I wanted to learn more about it, so I had my local library order this from a university for me.
I do not usually read nonfiction unless I am forced to. I do not usually finish nonfiction books unless someone makes me.
But this book? IT IS SO COOL! I devoured it in a day!
This book gives the history of many African alphabets and shows you what they look like. The book is stunning to look at, and the writing style is fun and easy to follow.
The author, Saki Mafundikwa, weaves in the stories of his travels and the stores of the real people, cultures, and languages that these alphabets come from. I have learned about so many people and places I had not heard of before!
As a white American person, I did not learn much about anything African in school. As a white teacher of mostly Black kids, I will be using what I learned from this book to make sure my kiddos learn more than I did.
I only wish it was easier to find a copy of this book for less than $100!
I do not usually read nonfiction unless I am forced to. I do not usually finish nonfiction books unless someone makes me.
But this book? IT IS SO COOL! I devoured it in a day!
This book gives the history of many African alphabets and shows you what they look like. The book is stunning to look at, and the writing style is fun and easy to follow.
The author, Saki Mafundikwa, weaves in the stories of his travels and the stores of the real people, cultures, and languages that these alphabets come from. I have learned about so many people and places I had not heard of before!
As a white American person, I did not learn much about anything African in school. As a white teacher of mostly Black kids, I will be using what I learned from this book to make sure my kiddos learn more than I did.
I only wish it was easier to find a copy of this book for less than $100!
March 16, 2023
A decent survey of various indigenous African scripts. I do wish the author would have stuck to the linguistically more accurate terms for each (like abugida), but I do also recognize that these may be daunting to some readers, and "alphabet" provides a more friendly introduction. I wish a bit more time had been spent examining the practical applications of each script, but as this book was primarily focused on the artistic merit of each with a dose of history about each, it accomplishes that goal well.
May 24, 2021
A radiant exploration of writing and writing systems.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews