Abdulla, Muhammed Said

Abdulla, Muhammed Said

▪ Tanzanian writer
born April 25, 1918, Zanzibar, Tanz.

      Tanzanian novelist generally regarded as the father of Swahili popular literature.

      Abdulla, after completing his formal education, began his career as an inspector in the Colonial Health Department. After 10 years there, however, he decided to become a journalist. In 1948 he was made editor of the newspaper Zanzibari, and during the next decade he also served as assistant editor of Al Falaq, Al Mahda, and Afrika Kwetu. In 1958 he became editor of Mkulima, the national agricultural magazine, where he served until his retirement in 1968.

      Coinciding with his shift to Mkulima was Abdulla's first success as a writer of fiction. His “Mzimu wa Watu wa Kale” (“Shrine of the Ancestors”) won first prize in the Swahili Story-Writing Competition of 1957–58, conducted by the East African Literature Bureau, and was published as a novel in 1966. In this work, Abdulla introduced his detective hero, Bwana Msa—loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes—and other characters who recur in most of his subsequent novels, which include Kisima cha Giningi (1968; “The Well of Giningi”), also a prizewinner; Duniani Kuna Watu (1973; “In the World There Are People”); Siri ya Sifuri (1974; “The Secret of the Zero”); Mke Mmoja Waume Watatu (1975; “One Wife, Three Husbands”); and Mwana wa Yungi Hulewa (1976; “The Devil's Child Grows Up”). With each new title, Abdulla's work developed in complexity and sophistication of plot; his use of the Swahili language is admired throughout East Africa, and his works—reprinted several times—are widely used as school texts. The novels characteristically pit the hero's powers of reason against a web of ignorance and superstition that serves to conceal the true nature of the narrative conflict.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Muhammed Said Abdulla — For other people named Mohammed Said, see Mohammed Said (disambiguation). Muhammed Said Abdulla (25 April 1918 March 1991), was a Swahili novelist who is often credited as a pioneer of Swahili literature. He was born in Zanzibar. After working… …   Wikipedia

  • Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din — Muhammed Ghiya as ud din, (Muhammed Manifufaanu), the son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II[1], was the sultan of the Maldives[2] from 1766 to 1773.[1][3] As per the will of his predecessor Dhon Bandaarain, Muhammed Manifufaanu ascended the throne… …   Wikipedia

  • Mohammed Said — may refer to: Politicians Mohammad Said bin Yusof Malaysian politician Mohammed Said Bareh Eritrean politician Muhammad Ali, Prince of Said, Egyptian prince Muhammad Osman Said former Prime Minister of Libya Muhammad Said al Attar a former acting …   Wikipedia

  • Swahili literature — Swahili also called  kiSwahili , or  Kiswahili        that body of creative writing done in Swahili, a Bantu language of Africa. The earliest preserved Swahili writing, from the early 18th century, is written in Arabic script, and subsequent… …   Universalium

  • Literatura por idioma — Anexo:Literatura por idioma Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Contenido 1 Literatura en lenguas europeas 1.1 Literaturas en lenguas antiguas y clásicas 1.2 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Anexo:Literatura por idioma — Contenido 1 Literatura en lenguas europeas 1.1 Literaturas en lenguas antiguas y clásicas 1.2 Literaturas en lenguas modernas …   Wikipedia Español

  • Swahili literature — is, generally speaking, literature written in the Swahili language particularly by Swahili people of the East African coast and the neighboring islands. It may also refer to literature written by people who write in Swahili language. It is an… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Tanzanians — This is a list of notable people from the East African nation of Tanzania.Artists* George Lilanga (1934–2005), Makonde artistMusicians* Cool James (1970–2002), rapper * Dully Sykes (born 1981), rapper * Joseph Haule (Professor Jay), rapper *… …   Wikipedia

  • History of medieval Tunisia — The present day Republic of Tunisia, al Jumhuriyyah at Tunisiyyah , has over ten million citizens, almost all of Arab Berber descent. The Mediterranean Sea is to the north and east, Libya to the southeast, and Algeria to the west. Tunis is the… …   Wikipedia

  • Al Halmandy v. Bush — (Civil Action No. 05 CV 2385) is a writ of habeas corpus filed on behalf of 63 Guantanamo detainees, on December 13, 2005.[1] The writ was filed shortly before the passage of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, which contained provisions to close …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”