The African Writer vs. Me

Everyone expects the African Writer

To wear glasses

To have a mass of natural hair, or dreadlocks or tie her hair in scarf

To wear African print and beads always

To have a certain accent

To speak big grammar

To study abroad

To talk about Pan Africanism

Or Afropolitan Dreams

Or our ancestors

To write about calabashes and palm wine

And laughter under the trees

And bringing the cattle home

To write about the hips and dance of a princess

To talk about kola nuts

And to have the most local name ever

But

I write

I am African

But I don’t have a mass of natural hair, because I think it’s painful, so I perm my hair. (lol)

I sometimes tie my hair in scarves, so that’s a plus.

I have loads of trousers and miniskirts, not made of African Print

I do wear jewelry, the gold colour ones, the silver ones and some beads.

I do have an accent.

I don’t speak big grammar, my English is even not good

I don’t openly talk about Pan Africanism

I don’t talk about my ancestors. I put them in my family history records

I don’t write about calabashes and palm wine

I talk about kelewele and sobolo and CHO-CO-LATE

I did not study abroad, I studied right here

I don’t have the most local name ever. My name is Marietta DeGrant, not Afua Afi Bronya, so you are allowed to have a little bit of doubt that I am African.

But seriously, I am African.

So, does that mean, I am not an African Writer?