Interviews Homepage; African Writing Online; Issue 9; [many literatures, one voice]

	Sarah Manyika interviewed by Ovo Adagha	Living in the so-called West, I often hear writers say that there are no new stories to be written, that everything has already been written about. But when it comes to Africa’s stories and the stories of Africans in the Diaspora I believe that we are only at the beginning. Oh – and one more thing on intentions … when I wrote this novel I gave it a sound track and envisaged it as a film. For the lead character I had Chiwetel Ejiofor in mind, but alas, this intention has yet to be realized.
Over the last few years in Morocco, a number of journalists and bloggers have been arrested because of something they published. Usually, it is because they cross one of three well-known taboos: writing critically about Islam, territorial integrity, or the king.	Laila Lalami interviewed by
	Lola Shoneyin interviewed by	I was absolutely horrified to read about Jacob Zuma taking that beautiful, buxom lady as his third wife. I know polygamy is legal in South Africa but African leaders have a responsibility to practise the less destructive elements of our culture, rather than promoting traditions that are opposed to liberty. What example has he set for the young men and women in a country that has been so tragically ravaged by AIDS?