Digital cities and villages: African writers and a sense of place in short online fiction

Abstract

This article analyses how young African writers challenge stereotypes about the continent through their imagination of places in online short stories. These stories appear on the literary websites Brittle Paper, Jalada, Saraba, Flash Fiction Ghana, Adda and African Writer Magazine with a focus on cities and villages. Authored by ten writers from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and Egypt, the stories contain elements of fiction that risk perpetuating negative stereotypes about Africa as they imagine their respective settings. However, textual analysis supported by an appreciation of context reveals how the writers use these stereotypes as basis to craft strong African narratives. By doing so, the writers emphasize the effect that places have on characters, theme, setting and the image of Africa. Ultimately, the roles that urban and rural spaces play in online fiction are multifaceted and enhance the African narrative in complex ways.