"Professor Eldred Jones says 'African literature continues to be intensely political and seems destined to remain so for some time. The writers are in the thick of the fight for the true liberation of their countries, a position which is still fraught with dangers.' He believes that 'it is possible to distinguish in the literatures of most countries pre-independence from post-independence literature but only as trends rather than as sudden dramatic breaks.' The articles in this collection point up: The increasing importance of women writers; that war produces a significant change in focus; [and] the growth of literature of protest against the misuse of independence. Professor Jones says 'South African writers will now have to emerge from the dominating theme of apartheid into close examination of humanity in a "free" society ... The military phenomenon has provided Nigerian writers with a succession of sub-periods int heir literary history.'"--Publisher's description.