Cameroon’s new literary generation is asserting itself globally
Al Jazeera
More publishing options at home and abroad, as well as broader opportunities thanks to online exposure, are catapulting the country’s young writers to fame.
Yaounde, Cameroon – Five years ago, Howard Meh-Buh Maximus was studying for a PhD in microbiology at the University of Buea, the capital of Cameroon’s South-West region. While he always enjoyed penning stories, he only shared them with friends and never truly saw himself becoming a writer.
“We are in Cameroon; you don’t see young people [studying to] become writers – you only see them [aspiring to] become doctors,” the 31-year-old said.
But when Maximus heard at the time about a writing contest in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, he decided to apply by filing a 300-word story. The piece won him a ticket to the programme and became the reason he met Dzekashu MacViban, the founder of Bakwa, who convinced Maximus to begin curating short stories and essays at the English-language literary publication house.