The Sword and Laser discussion

The book briefing mentioned some of the complexity behind the word "Akata" and that Nnedi Okorafor was working to reclaim it. I wanted to share her post on it. Her post includes a non-spoilery excerpt from Akata Warrior that recounts an experience Sunny had in her childhood in America.

The Word "Akata" and the Pain Behind It

https://nnedi.blogspot.com/2018/08/ak...

I'm white in the US so I don't have any personal connection or experience of the specific sorts of marginalization behind that word. But the vivid and detailed scene Sunny recounts was a gut punch on multiple levels. But I don't want to shift the conversation away from this specific effort to reclaim a term. It provides more context to the choice to use the word in the title of the books.

The fact that the wording of the title was chosen with a specific purpose makes it all the more unexpected that the book was renamed in some markets, notably the UK but not the US. Googling seems to imply that the word is more controversial in the US than in the UK so quite why a UK audience is judged to be more sensitive is odd.

As a side note, the UK renaming ("What Sunny Saw In The Flames") and cover art, also seems to down-age the book, making it appear more middle-school than I would have expected, given the violence towards children in the book.

The US can have violence but not sex, the UK can have violence but not slurs?

Hmmm. I gather the same publisher that had the rights for the Nigerian version also had the rights for the UK version? It's pretty confusing when I try to find information but it seems like it was specifically changed for the Nigerian release and that happened to be the same publisher who handled the UK release. At least that's the best I could piece together.

I did find this interview with Nnedi Okorafor in the process, though. And it includes a lengthy response to a question about her use of the word 'akata' that's worth sharing.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...

The word, akata, itself has derogatory connotations. How have you reclaimed this word and how does Sunny’s relationship with the word change in each book? Do you have any advice for young people looking to do the same?

That word is very significant. It is a word that I have fought with forever and that [my sisters and I] know well. It’s a word we’d hear and get called a lot. It’s an ugly word. In fact, when I was naming the book I had just been called Akata by some man because he felt I was too mouthy like an American. Some Nigerians would be like, “It’s not a negative term,” and that is a lie. Anyone who’s been called that knows it’s not a nice term, but this is the word I’ve grown up with. So, when that man called me that I was like, “Okay, well I’m going to be the first person to put that damn word in the title of a book.” It was an act of defiance; I was really angry that day and I just went with it. I think the reclaiming happens just in the books existing and saying the title, in the word being understood for what it is. You can’t call me that word in comfort now. It doesn’t work, its power has been flipped. Some people have called me akata witch. I embrace that now, but I couldn’t have embraced it back then.

Sunny is in conversation with it constantly from the beginning of the [first] book. She’s Nigerian American, but that means she’s also Nigerian. She has to contend with the usage and acceptance of that term. There’s a really poignant scene in Akata Warrior, when she gets into this altercation with these African American girls and the word starts flying. She finds herself spitting that ugly term in a sort of defense. She doesn’t know what else to say, she wants to hurt them. Then she’s like, “What the hell did I do?” It’s like throwing a weapon and it comes right back and hits you instead. It’s a really big lesson for her.

So, my advice? Be who you are, in all its complexity. Who you are is unique and interesting. In terms of the words—there’s always a history behind all of it. Words are like culture in a lot of ways—they’re fluid, they’re alive. They’re not set in stone. They can evolve and devolve. They shift and become different things. How do you harness it? How do you not get harmed by it? How do you not let it get into your system? It’s not simple. Use your brain and be open to understanding, listening, researching, and feeling.

I have never heard of the word. Might be an East Coast thing if it is a thing at all.

Stephen wrote: "I have never heard of the word. Might be an East Coast thing if it is a thing at all."

I'm curious which country's "east coast" you're referencing since to the best of my knowledge Nigeria doesn't have anything that could be called that. It's specifically a word from the Yoruba language. Like many words that become slurs it has a complicated history, but it developed the sense of a wild animal or cat as someone who is uncultured. It's typically applied to African Americans and American-born Africans by Nigerians and other West Africans.

It seems a bit odd to think that only words which you've heard before exist or are "a thing".

America's East Coast.

sorry

Trike wrote: "The US can have violence but not sex, the UK can have violence but not slurs?"

From a distance (haven't decided if I will read yet) this book resembles Panshin's "Rite of Passage." Which had boob licking at the end. Probably the term "Mudeater" does not match "Akata" which seems to be an African version of the N word.

Panshin was deliberately aping Heinlein's Juveniles (and pissed off Heinlein doing so) which makes me wonder if this book is a Nth generation take on Heinlein, as his shadow looms over the field.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Panshin was deliberately aping Heinlein's Juveniles (and pissed off Heinlein doing so) which makes me wonder if this book is a Nth generation take on Heinlein, as his shadow looms over the field."

Nnedi Okorafor is pretty clear about her influences and in a world where an author is both quite vocal and technology makes it easy to find what they have said, there isn't usually a need to "wonder" about something like that.

One thing she has explicitly said (quoting an example on social media but she's said similar things multiple times) is:

"My stories aren't the black version of white authors. My foundation isn't whiteness (no disrespect to whiteness). ljs.

My foundation geminated in Arondizuogu & Isiekenesi."

She's also shared her top influences for the Akata series. Those are:

1. Epic family trips to Arondizuogu
2. Sandra Marume, the Igbo girl (who has albinism) who Sunny was based on.
3. Famished Road by Ben Okri
4. The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola