A groundbreaking study of Yoruba-language print culture in colonial Lagos Much Matter in a Penny Paper offers the first in-depth exploration of the emergence of an African-language print culture in early twentieth-century Lagos, Nigeria. Focusing on the 1910s and 1920s-a period of rapid experimentation and innovation-Karin Barber examines the rise of Yoruba-language newspapers and the vibrant civic sphere they helped create. The 1910s was notable for an upsurge of local Yoruba-language history books, and during the 1920s entrepreneurial editors and writers launched five Yoruba-language weeklies in quick succession. These publications drew in readers beyond the educated elite, expanding public discourse and experimenting with new genres of writing. From moralizing pamphlets and dramatic sketches to serialized narratives voiced by women, Yoruba print producers reimagined oral and written traditions, blending popular songs, anecdotes, and poetic forms into a dynamic new medium. This book is about not only what was printed but also how and why. It investigates the material practices of print production, the motivations of its creators, and the expectations of its audiences. Drawing on editorials, reader correspondence, and other paratextual commentary, it reveals how Yoruba writers and readers understood the role of print in capturing the present, preserving the past, projecting the wisdom of the day forward for the benefit of future generations, and generating deep Yoruba texts rich in poetic energy. Through detailed portraits of key figures-editors, pamphleteers, and a mysterious oral historian-Barber traces the interconnections between publications and genres, showing how they formed an active bilingual sphere of communication. The interplay between Yoruba- and English-language media, as well as the creative exploitation of both languages, emerges as a defining feature of this period's print culture. By treating the Yoruba print archive as a "transcript of emergence," this study offers new insights into how cultural innovations take shape. It is essential reading for scholars of African history, media studies, sociolinguistics, and print culture.
Karin Barber is an emeritus professor of African cultural anthropology at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on Yoruba oral literature, popular theater and print culture, and the comparative study of popular culture and textual production across Africa. Her book Print Culture and the First Yoruba Novel helped contribute to new interest in African-language print culture.
"A rare and exceptional book, based on decades of experience and scholarship. It manages to create a depth of detail and understanding that is quite remarkable. Self-evidently such an achievement rests on meticulous and sustained research over an entire career. An utter joy to read." - Isabel Hofmeyr, author of Dockside Reading: Hydrocolonialism and the Custom House
