OlongoAfrica Launches Vol. 2 of Multi-Lingua Anthology

The Volume 2 of OlongoAfrica’s multilingual anthology project was released on February 21. This launch, which coincides with this year’s International Mother Tongue Day, represents OlongoAfrica’s commitment to a future in which literature on the continent is not limited to those produced in colonial languages but includes all languages of expression on the continent.

This multilingual anthology is both a decision to fill a gap and a call to order the colonial heritage of modern African literature. With this project, OlongoAfrica’s objective is to expand the African presence in global and world literature while creating new environments for the readership of African literature. To expand the African imagination, the goals are the same: African languages gain agency through the generative production of original and derivative work; the audience of African language literature expands in significant ways; and the work of linguists, language technologists, and orthography creators improves through the availability of data and engagement.

Edited by Kọ́lá Túbọsún and Salawu Olajide, this anthology features 10 previously written English stories, translated into 10 different African languages. The featured stories have been translated into Somali, Gikuyu, Sesotho, Zulu, Ewe, iziXhosa, Ndebele, and Ekegusii. These translations have been voiced and recorded to accompany the project. The featured stories, writers, and translators are:

• “Cousin Sister” by Emelda Gwitimah. Translated as الأخت ابنة الخالة by Ibrahim Fawzy
• “3 Reasons Why I’ll Be a Cat in My Next Life” by Kawira Koome. Translated to Somali by Abdihakin Ubahle
• “A Mention of My Father” by Leila Aboulela. Translated to Gikuyu by Peter Mburu Kuria
• “Won’t You Eat Again?” by Akorfa Dawson. Translated to Sesotho by Cece Celestina
• “Meeting Yewa” by Rachel Barduhn. Translated to Zulu by Mamodiehi Gwala
• “The Healer” by Noel Cheruto. Translated to Ewe by Fred Hayibor
• “The Grandparents” by Musu Bangura. Translated to iziXhosa by Vuyokazi Ngemntu
• “The Jini” by Wangari Wamae. Translated to Ndebele by Thompson Ndlovu
• “Eclipse” by Ifeoluwa Adeniyi. Translated by Tesfaye Kirubel
• “Footsteps” by Victor Unwuchola. Translated to Ekegusii by Jane Obuchi

The inaugural edition in 2023 was supported by Sterling Bank Nigeria, Brick House, and individual donors. For this edition, OlongoAfrica acknowledges the support of the estate of Aisha and Gbenga Oyebode Family Office, who, in 2023, donated 750,000 naira (then worth about $980), and Dr. Kẹ́hìndé Ládiípọ̀ who gave ₦250,000 to help the project. 

Enjoy the offerings of issue 2 of the multilingual anthology here!