Space in the “New” Swahili Novel as a Symbol of the Future

Abstract

The phenomenon of the “new” novel in Swahili, which arose at the turn of the last and current centuries, can be considered as one of the highest achievements of modern Swahili literature. Among the writers who created and develop the “new” novel, we should first of all name the Tanzanian authors Euphrase Kezilahabi and Said Ahmed Mohamed and the Kenyans Kyallo Wadi Wamitila and Tom Olali. Their works reveal a number of similar features, one of which is the depiction of the current state of Africa and the whole world and the vision of their future. The idea of this future as a catastrophe can be traced at different levels of the text, including the level of its “topography”, consisting of three main elements — the human world, the other world (as a rule, the underground world with obvious features of hell), and the world of the future. All these worlds closely interact with each other, thereby expressing the authors’ idea — humanity is persistently building (or has already built) hell on earth, which is destined for an exclusively apocalyptic future. The authors see a possible way out of the situation in the joint efforts of those who are not indifferent to the fate of future generations, under the slogan of “unity in equality”. These joint efforts should be made in various areas — primarily in the dissemination of education, knowledge and creativity, creation instead of consumption, mutual support instead of the “laws of the wolf pack.” In this case, humanity can even again count on the support of higher powers — and the scenario of a possible future may not be so gloomy.

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