Literature And Politics In Nigeria: Writers’ Perception

Abstract

Literature and politics are aspects of a people’s culture. The culture of a people or a particular society, their traditions and world views provide the context and locale for literature. Thus, literature is a reflection of the society that produces it. In other words, literature does not exist in a vaccum or in isolation of its society. It mirrors the current social situation of any given society at any given time. Although literature is an imaginative expression, it relies heavily on real life situations as materials from which it is produced. Writers reflect the prevailing social, cultural, economic and political situations of a people in their works which naturally belong to definite classes. This paper therefore examines the relationship between literature and politics. The study is an exploration of the bulk of the growing Nigerian literary creative works. Critical analysis of the works reveal the writers’ perception and feelings towards Nigerian political leadership vis-à-vis the current state of affairs in the nation and the way forward.