Speaking on the theme “Missing Bodies in Crime Fiction” the authors also read their novels and spoke about crime fiction in cosmopolitan urban locales like Cape Town and Lagos.
Should African crime writers use the American crime scene as inspiration? Judging by a panel discussion that brought together Toni Kan, Hawa Golakai last week at Freedom Park Lagos, chaired by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf co-founder of Cassava Republic , the answer is no.
"Using the American crime scene to write your story may not hold water. said Toni Kan.
"It's not realistic', it is not original. If you want to write realistic crime novels, it starts with re-inventing and submerging the troupes"
Hawa Golakai agreed, added that although she read a lot of Agatha Christie growing up, she had to make her story as African as possible.
Speaking on the theme “Missing Bodies in Crime Fiction” the authors also read their novels and spoke about crime fiction in cosmopolitan urban locales like Cape Town and Lagos.
Talking about writing The Carnivorous City, Kan explained that he had actually meant to write a stories about Lagos. "This book became a crime story because of my editor. I did not intend to write a crime fiction per se."
Talking about crime fiction expectations, the authors disliked the trend of people telling writers that they want books to teach morals.
Toni Kan denounced: "I don't intend to preach with my books, go and read a bible if you want to be preached to.
I just want people to enjoy my books and relax with a good story"
As panelists gleefully discussed the absurdity of 'moral lessons' – an awkwardly bloody denouement for an event complementing a celebration of crime-writing in African literature.
If you have an interest in crime fiction and you want to understand Lagos and Cape Town from the inside, give these authors a chance.
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