Bernth Lindfors. ed.
Black African Literature in English, 1992-1996
Oxford: Hans Zell Publishers, 2000. Pp. xi+654. $140.00

Reviewed by Ode S. Ogede

Bernth Lindfors' regularly updated bibliography Black African Literature in English, now in its fifth edition, has over the past twenty-two years become the most comprehensive reference tool in the search for information on critical discussions of African literature in English. The current volume, covering 1992-1996, is presented in the pattern of its predecessors: it covers criticism only, and does not include information on the creative works themselves, that is, the novels, short stories, plays, and poems written in English by African authors.

As in the previous editions, one admires Lindfors' effort to achieve a comprehensive coverage, although a more selective listing, one that weeds out some of the unimportant journalistic pieces that have appeared in African newspapers and that comprise the bulk of the articles listed here, might have yielded a better outcome. It certainly would have cut the size and the price of the massive volume in half, without diminishing the value of the book as a reliable work of scholarly reference. Just as the inclusion of items that bear no literary qualities blurs the definition of African literature upon which the compilation is drawn, so the derogatory remarks on the works of those critics who air views that are opposed to opinions held by the bibliographer suggest a punitive act which raises serious questions of academic integrity.

The value of this edition, however, lies in its sound organizational framework. The volume is divided into two main parts. After the introduction, which offers a brief explanation of the work's scope, format, and goals, the first part relates the information by genre including sections on "bibliographies," "biographies," and "interviews," as well as general and more specialized topics which include "fiction," "drama," "media (film, radio, television, video, press)," "poetry," "criticism," "autobiography," "publishing," "children's literature," "popular literature," "language and style," "language and commitment," "the role of the writer," "image studies," "audience," "censorship," "periodicals," "conferences," and "festivals." The final part arranges the material alphabetically by author. The book concludes with a well-furnished three-part index organized by author, title, and subject. Black African Literature in English, 1992-1996 can be consulted with ease, which is no small feat for a volume that pulls together such a vast amount of data. Unfortunately, the title is misleading as it implies that the whole of African literature in English is accommodated within its purview.