The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, the basic concepts, such as “African philosophy” and “Afrophone philosophies”, their relationship and the general context of the debate on “African philosophy” will be defined. The author anticipate her definition here and says that “Afrophone philosophies”are those discourses that are the medium of philosophical reflexion in a given culture. Thus in the second part of the paper, Alena Rettová concentrates on one specific case of a philosophical reflexion, that of reflecting philosophical influences in the late works of Euphrase Kezilahabi, Nagona (1990) and Mzingile (1991).

Until the Eighties the regional character of Kenyan prose writing was far less marked than that of Zanzibari novels. Different was the situation in poetry; in fact, Kimvita and Kiamu have been used even in modern times (see, e.g., Ahmad Nassir Juma Bhalo, Abdilatif Abdalla and Ahmed Sheikh Nabhany; the last one is well-known for his endeavour in enriching and modernizing Swahili terminology, and a few of his proposed terms, e. g. runinga for `television`, have been accepted). Kenyan prose fiction, on the other hand, used to be much alike to the up-country Tanzanian literary production, written as it was in standard Swahili, sometimes with many colloquial features.

We shall investigate the use of Swahili slang in Freddy Macha`s tiny collection of short stories Twen `zetu Ulaya (DSM 1984), and especially in his short story Check-bob This is arguably the only epistolary short story in modern Swahili literature; in fact, epistolary novels are uncommon in anglophone Afiica as a whole. In this narrative two former lovers show abuses on each other and their four letters - two by each character - unfold the story of a selfish young woman who shamelessly exploited her boyfiiend and the manner in which he paid her back with her own coin. It is interesting to note how the same events are presented from two different perspectives and hence evaluated differently.

Taking a closer look at Tanzanian prose in the early 90s, it can be said that it has preserved the main structural features which had taken shape within the previous two decades of its development. One of these features is a more or less rich system of genres (short story, novelette, novel). Another is a traditional division into `popular` and `elite` literature. This division had already been noted by many researchers in the 70s and the 80s, although they used different terms for it; e.g , popular and serious literature (Bertoncini 1989), popular and standard literature (Ohly 1990), riwaya-pendwa and riwaya-dhati (Mlacha and Madumulla 1991), and others.

In Swahili Forum III Elena Bertoncini-Zubkova (1996) discussed some of the political criticisms, expressed in the form of literary motifs and imagery, that emerged in the works of the Tanzanian Swahili writer Euphrase Kezilahabi since 1978 onwards. She situates this emergent critique in the new political discoursive context where critical reviews of the Ujamaa policy could now be publicly voiced since President Nyerere himself admitted the failure of Ujamaa in his delivery Azimio la Arusha baada ya Miaka Kumi (The Arusha Declaration Ten Years Later, 1977). According to Bertoncini this admission `clear[ed] the way for critical literary works` of which Kezilahabi satirical play Kaputula la Marx (Marx`s Shorts, 1978) and his short story Mayai- Waziri wa maradhi (Eggs- Minister of Sickness, 1978) were among the first.

A book review of `Zanzibar: Kinyang`anyiro na utumwa´by Issa Nasser Issa AI-Ismaily (1999).

Sehemu muhimu ya fasihi andishi ya Kiswahili yachukuliwa na fasihi iliyotafsiriwa kutoka lugha za kigeni. Ingawa vitabu vingi vilikuwa vimetafsiriwa na wageni, Waswahili walio maarufu walishugulika vile vile na kazi hiyo ya kufasiri kama wale Shaaban Robert anayehesabika kuwa mwanzilishi wa fasihi ya kisasa ya Kiswahili pamoja na rais wa kwanza wa Tanzania, baba wa taifa Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. Aidha, vitabu vya fasihi ya Kirusi zilianza kutafsiriwa kuanzia miaka ya sabini karne iliyopita. Nia yangu ilikuwa ni kuvuta uangalifu wa watafsiri Waswahili, kuwasaidia waelewe zaidi matini ya Kirusi na kuizingatia kwa makini katika kuendeleza kazi yao ya ufasiri yenye maana kubwa.

Enzi baada ya uhuru baadhi ya tafsiri mpya kwa Kiswahili zilianza kutokea nchini Kenya, zikiwemo tafsiri za riwaya na tawasifu za waandishi Wakenya. Makala haya yanazingatia tawasifu ya Josiah Mwangi Kariuki iitwayo Mau Mau Detainee (1963) inayosimulia kumbukumbu za mateso aliyoya-pata mwandishi mwenyewe wakati wa miaka ya hali ya hatari, na tafsiri yake kwa Kiswahili yaani Mau Mau Kizuizini (1965) iliyofasiriwa na Joel Maina. Kwanza, tawasifu ya Mau Mau Detainee itachambuliwa kwa kujikita hasa katika jinsi mwandishi mwenyewe alivyobuni lugha changamano takitumia Kiingereza kinachochanganywa na Kigĩkũyũ pamoja na Kiswahili. Halafu, tafsiri yake ii-wayo Mau Mau Kizuizini itachambuliwa kwa kina kwa ajili ya kuanza kufafanua jinsi na kwa mbinu gani mfasiri alivyokabiliana na vipengele vya pekee vya matini hiyo wakati alipokuwa anatafsiri kumbukumbu hizo za ukoloni akiwa anawalenga wasomaji wa lugha pokezi.

Review

Book Review of Ernst Dammann, Afrikanische Handschriften, Teil 1 - Handschriften in Swahili und anderen Sprachen Afrikas