Black Orpheus (magazine)
Black Orpheus was the first English-language literary and art magazine in Africa. It was founded in 1957 in Ibadan , Nigeria by Ulli Beier and was published until 1975. After Beier left the country, it was published from 1968 by Abiola Irele. The title was taken from Orphée Noir , an essay by Jean-Paul Sartre .
In Black Orpheus published poetry, fiction, art, literature criticism and comments as well as English translations of the works of French authors. The magazine did a lot to revive the literary, artistic and mythological legacy of the Nigerian peoples. She was also considered very influential in the development of modern African literature. In the early years, the Austrian artist Susanne Wenger , Beer's first wife, designed the magazine's cover pictures, using motifs from various African art traditions.
Among the artists and authors who published in Black Orpheus were Léopold Senghor , Camara Laye , Aimé Césaire , Hampâté Bâ , Wole Soyinka , John Pepper Clark , Gabriel Okara , Dennis Brutus , Kofi Awoonor , Andrew Salkey, Léon Damas , Ama Ata Aidoo , Cyprian Ekwensi , Alex La Guma , Bloke Modisane , Birago Diop , Daniel O. Fagunwa , Wilson Harris , Valente Malangatana and Ibrahim el-Salahi .
Individual evidence
- ^ Rainer Arnold: Black Orpheus . In: Herbert Greiner-Mai (ed.): Small dictionary of world literature . VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig 1983. p. 50.
- ↑ Collection of cover images compiled by Josh MacPhee on the blog of the artist cooperative JustSeeds, published on August 29, 2016