Where Are The Travel Writers From Nigeria?

Where are the travel writers from Nigeria?

There is little or no record of travel books by Nigerians in Nigeria and Nigerians abroad.

Travel books are very important to the development of Nigerian literature for the general education of Nigerians and others.

Most members of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) are not actually qualified to be members if the administrators want to follow the strict guidelines for membership. Most of the members who only paid the membership fees are mostly self-published authors and they actually rushed to get published to qualify as authors and most of their titles are booklets of poems and short stories and look like poor photocopies with pins and stitches.

The membership of the prestigious Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) in the state of New York, requires some conditions, such as mandatory purchase of some books by the members and you are expected to read the books and you must purchase new collection of books to renew your membership annually. Therefore, members are well informed on the development of American literature and the rest of the world.

If you ask the registered members of ANA, how many books they have read from the stable of ANA, do not be surprised if the majority would be clueless about the books written by fellow members of ANA. Most of them hardly buy the books, because they would expect you to give them complimentary copies.

The definition of literature to members of ANA, is writing and reading fiction, poetry and drama. So, most of the authors of non-fiction books, like Dr. Ola Balogun, J.K. Randle and others are never invited or included in the directory of ANA. Therefore, those who are even more qualified to be members of ANA are not in ANA.

The best travel book on Nigeria, is Dr. Ola Balogun's "Magic Land of Nigeria", an awesome beautiful, colourful and wonderful book of lucid narrative prose and poetry and excellent photography, published decades ago.

I am challenging Nigerians in America, Europe, Australia, Middle East and Asia, to write travel books on their visits and living experiences abroad.

J.P. Clark wrote one on America and I have seen other titles, but they are not more than the number of my ten fingers.

SMC can write a book on living and working in the UK.
"London in My Eyes" and "Beyond the River Thames" are not  bad titles for such a book.

Ndipe can write his own book on living in America.
"An Alien in America" or "America is Not Paradise" would be an attractive title.

Those in Paris and other places outside Nigeria should take up my challenge.

I know that such books will likely sell more than fictional books in Nigeria, because of the interests of millions of Nigerians who dream of visiting America and Britain and they can even tell you the names of all the towns and cities in America and Britain, but will find it difficult to tell the names of the towns and cities in Nigeria.

Publishers?
There are publishers waiting for such travel books, because they can find millions of Nigerians willing to read them than read the badly written prose and poetry of hungry writers in Nigeria.



 

SMC,
I look forward to reading the book on your trips.

I am just flashing my torchlight on all aspects of Nigerian literature.

I said STORY. I did not say Book o!