229:'Was Ntara trying to conform to the image already present, or was he writing under the influence of his adopted faith—these are questions difficult to answer from the materials we have. It is also possible that his images are being misunderstood completely. An analysis of this text awaits the attention of an Africanist-folklorist'.
1238:
167:
It is a liberating experience to obtain a glimpse of another kind of life which is not as our life, which exists in its own right and by its own standards...I am sure there will be many who, like myself, will feel that after reading it they have gained a new insight into
African anthropology, African
263:
Following the success of his novel, Ntara turned his attention to the history of the AChewa. Ntara collected his first oral history from
Reverend Namon Katengeza, the first African to be ordained by the Dutch Reformed Church Mission at Nkhoma. The resutling seven-page document was published in 1944.
321:
1949 also saw the publication of Ntara's first non-fiction biographical work. Msyamboza was a village headman at
Chibanzi, a few miles from Kongwe where Ntara had been teaching since 1944. In his biography, Ntara recounts Msyamboza's reactions to the influence of religion and colonialism in the
309:
I may, perhaps, take this opportunity of bringing to more public notice the work in authorship and historical research which has been going on for 30 years in quiet seclusion at Mkhoma by Mr Samuel Nthara. In no other land has comparable work been done by any man of the first literate
141:
Ntara retired in the early 1960s to a home in
Kamphata, near Lilongwe. He served as an Elder of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, became a founding member of the Malawi Censorship Board in 1968, and in 1975 became the first chairman of the National Monuments Advisory Council.
61:
Ntara's name is spelled in various ways. In his early publications, his middle name is spelled 'Yosia' and then later anglicised to 'Josia'. Occasionally it appears as 'Josiah'. 'Ntara' is also sometimes spelled 'Nthara'. He is often credited simply as S.J. Ntara.
268:
and published in 1973. Reviews of the
English edition are extremely critical, questioning the translation itself and the commentary. The choice to use the 1965 edition as its source is also criticised, as it omits important content found in the 1949 edition.
118:
and elsewhere. In 1932, he was posted back to the Nkhoma
Mission as a teacher. He continued to study during this time, enrolling on a correspondence course at Union College in South Africa, and marrying in 1934. In 1944 Ntara was posted to Kongwe School in
882:
222:
is a fictional biography set in during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The eponymous central character grows up in a traditional rural setting before experiencing a religious crisis and converting to
Christianity. In trying to interpret
264:
Further research with other informants led to significant revision and enlargement, with a second edition appearing in 1949. A third and final ChiChewa edition, enlarged again, appeared in 1965. It was this final edition that was translated as
251:
The
History of the Chewa is a frightening example of what can come out of the academic scramble for Africa. Helpful in some areas, its overall effect is to add one more level of distortion to the chain of testimonies that began in the Chewa
1239:"Man of Africa. By S. Y. Ntara. Translated and arranged from the original Nyanja by T. Cullen Young. Foreword by Julian Huxley. Pp. 181. Illustr. London: The Religious Tract Society. 1934. 3s. 6d"
341:
Following his transfer back to Nkhoma in the early 1950s, Ntara was commissioned to write a biography of
Reverend Namon Katengeza, who had provided him with the first oral histories for his
88:
Many
Africans contributed to Mthenga and thus gained experience in writing in their own language. Samuel Y. Ntara went rather beyond his fellows and became successful as a writer of books.
111:
190:
193:
in London. In 1932, he submitted a manuscript to the competition, alongside other works in ChiChewa by George Simeon Mwase and Steven Kumakanga. Ntara's manuscript was entitled
397:
295:. In spite of coming into contact with Christianity, the novel's eponymous main character does not have a religious crisis like that experienced by Nthondo.
1205:
1355:
937:"The Cape Dutch Reformed Church Mission in Malawi: A Preliminary Historical Examination of Its Educational Philosophy and Application, 1889-1931"
1360:
103:. The missions were unusual in their promotion of local languages, including ChiChewa. This included the creation of a magazine in 1909 called
1161:
1041:
831:
130:
since its inception in 1943. At the inaugural meeting of the Congress held in Blantyre in October 1944, Ntara represented Lilongwe alongside
71:
1350:
1020:
925:
325:
The book was published simultaneously in ChiChewa and English, with Cullen Young again undertaking the translation as he had for
355:
In 1946, Ntara also translated a manual on soil erosion written by John Clements and Paul Topham into ChiChewa under the title
153:
Ntara published fictional and non-fictional biographies, an oral history, and a collection of idioms over a 30-year period.
348:
In the same year that his biography of Namon Katengeza appeared, Ntara also published a book of ChiChewa idioms entitled
168:
psychology, African native problems: and equally sure that many, again like myself, will enjoy the pure literary quality,
1340:
1319:
110:
At Mvera, Ntara passed standard three before becoming a teacher in local village schools. In 1927, he travelled to the
127:
462:
322:
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Msyamboza's conversion to Christianity marks the climax of the book.
39:
75:
1320:"Discursive formations: Identity and ideological struggle in Samuel Josia Ntara's historical narraties"
1365:
1345:
1171:
Schoffeleers, Matthew (1975). Ntara, Samuel Josia; Heintze, Beatrix; Jere, W. S. Kamphandira (eds.).
291:
is another fictional biography, this time of a Chewa woman. It was published in an abridged form by
209:
135:
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1138:
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997:
956:
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204:
was published in 1933, and in the following year an English translation appeared with the title,
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1184:
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1130:
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1037:
1016:
989:
948:
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902:
212:, a missionary who promoted the work of a number of local writers, and featured a foreword by
131:
1250:
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981:
894:
861:
189:
While teaching in Lilongwe, Ntara saw an advert for a literary competition sponsored by the
114:
to undertake formal teacher training. This allowed him to continue his career at schools in
55:
883:"Man of Africa. By Samuel Y. Ntara. Translated by Rev. T. Cullen Young. R.T.S. 3S. 6d"
1334:
233:
Ntara entered the same writing competition a decade later with a manuscript entitled
213:
177:
1151:
1031:
120:
79:
1010:
915:
99:
Ntara's early life was shaped by the Dutch Reformed Church missions at Mvera and
1012:
Archaeology and Oral Tradition in Malawi: Origins and Early History of the Chewa
1221:
898:
1295:
1262:
1229:
1188:
1134:
1101:
1068:
1033:
The Story-Time of the British Empire: Colonial and Postcolonial Folkloristics
993:
952:
906:
78:
Mission in Mvera, and his mother was Margaret Sungani. His parents were both
115:
1303:
1279:
1142:
1118:
1109:
1085:
1076:
1052:
960:
936:
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873:
849:
292:
123:, another Dutch Reformed Church school. In 1951 he returned to Nkhoma.
1196:
1172:
1001:
969:
472:
Ntara, Samuel Josia (1969). "Reminiscences". In Dathorne, O.R. (ed.).
382:. Translated by Cullen Young, Thomas. London: Bible and Tract Society.
402:. Translated by Ntara, Samuel Josia. London: Oxford University Press.
100:
51:
1254:
865:
50:(24 September 1905 – 1976) was a pioneering writer and teacher from
985:
485:. Translated by Jere, Kamphandira. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag.
436:
Headman's Enterprise: An Unexpected Page in Central African History
331:
Headman's Enterprise: An Unexpected page in Central African History
1322:. In Hurley, E. Anthony; Larrier, Renee; McLaren, Joseph (eds.).
1119:"The Story of the Dutch Reformed Church Mission in Nyasaland"
1153:
Malawi and Scotland Together in the Talking Place Since 1859
420:. Longmans' Cinyanja Series. London: Longman, Green and Co.
411:. Zomba: Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland Literature Bureau.
16:
Pioneering Malawian novelist writer and teacher (1905-1976)
528:
526:
191:
International Institute of African Languages and Cultures
608:
606:
438:. Translated by Cullen Young, Thomas. Lutterworth Press.
345:. It was published in 1964 by the Nkhoma Mission Press.
70:
Samuel Yosia Ntara was born on 24 September 1905 in the
1053:"Review of The History of the Chewa (Mbiri y a Achewa)"
974:
The International Journal of African Historical Studies
629:
627:
625:
623:
621:
447:. Nkhoma: Nkhoma Synod of the Church of Central Africa.
58:
and several of his books were translated into English.
970:"Review of The History of the Chewa (Mbiri ya Achewa)"
887:
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
581:
579:
577:
513:
511:
467:. Blantyre: Malawi Publications and Literature Bureau.
237:, although it did not win and was never published.
30:
23:
1324:Migrating Words and Worlds: Pan-Africanism Updated
258:Ian Linden, on the problematic English translation
74:. His father was Josiah Kamfumu, a teacher at the
107:, which would continue until at least the 1950s.
850:"Dreams, Conversion and Ntara's "Man of Africa""
456:. Lusaka: Northern Rhodesia Publications Bureau.
306:
248:
164:
85:
197:and it won a prize in the biography category.
216:. It was positively reviewed on publication.
8:
1036:. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
777:
396:Clements, John Burton; Topham, Paul (1946).
208:. The English translation was undertaken by
1086:"SAMUEL JOSIAH NTARA: Writer and Historian"
830:sfn error: no target: CITEREFDathorne1974 (
681:
20:
532:
170:so simple yet so effective, of the story.
825:
801:
705:
693:
502:
1326:. Africa World Press. pp. 247–xxx.
612:
495:
789:
753:
741:
729:
669:
645:
633:
597:
585:
568:
556:
517:
283:, which is seen as the counterpart to
813:
544:
7:
765:
717:
657:
316:Thomas Cullen Young, on S.J. Ntara.
72:British Central Africa Protectorate
445:Moyo ndi Nchito za Namon Katengeza
418:Nchowa: Life Story of a Cewa Woman
14:
1173:"A Chronicle from Central Africa"
200:The original ChiChewa version of
145:Samuel Josia Ntara died in 1976.
1356:20th-century Malawian educators
941:Transafrican Journal of History
917:Historical Dictionary of Malawi
429:. Nkhoma: Nkhoma Mission Press.
391:. Nkhoma: Nkhoma Mission Press.
373:. Nkhoma: Nkhoma Mission Press.
1177:The Journal of African History
227:, Sadhana Naithani concludes:
1:
1361:20th-century Malawian writers
1206:"The Prize Essay Competition"
1090:The Society of Malawi Journal
854:Journal of Religion in Africa
1015:. Woodbridge: James Currey.
914:Kalinga, Owen J. M. (2012).
481:Ntara, Samuel Josia (1973).
443:Ntara, Samuel Josia (1964).
434:Ntara, Samuel Josia (1949).
425:Ntara, Samuel Josia (1949).
416:Ntara, Samuel Josia (1949).
407:Ntara, Samuel Josia (1949).
329:. The full English title is
1009:Juwayeyi, Yusuf M. (2020).
920:. Lanham: Scarecrow Press.
293:Longmans, Green and Company
1382:
1280:"Place-Names in Nyasaland"
1030:Naithani, Sadhana (2010).
298:
128:Nyasaland African Congress
126:Ntara was a member of the
1351:20th-century male writers
1222:10.1017/S0001972000034185
1117:Pretorius, J. L. (1957).
899:10.1017/S0041977X00086729
378:Ntara, Samuel Y. (1934).
369:Ntara, Samuel Y. (1933).
279:In 1949, Ntara published
1051:Page, Melvin E. (1975).
935:Lamba, Isaac C. (1983).
848:Chimombo, Steve (1989).
454:Mau Okuluwika M'cinyanja
1237:Westermann, D. (1935).
302:or Headman's Enterprise
244:or History of the Chewa
1318:Hickey, Kevin (1999).
1278:Young, Cullen (1953).
313:
255:
174:
91:
40:Central Region, Malawi
1284:The Nyasaland Journal
1123:The Nyasaland Journal
76:Dutch Reformed Church
968:Linden, Ian (1975).
483:History of the Chewa
461:Ntara, S.J. (1965).
452:Ntara, S.J. (1964).
387:Ntara, S.J. (1944).
266:History of the Chewa
1341:Malawian Christians
1084:Pachai, B. (1968).
210:Thomas Cullen Young
136:George Simeon Mwase
1204:Ward, Ida (1945).
48:Samuel Josia Ntara
34:Samuel Yosia Ntara
25:Samuel Josia Ntara
1163:978-99908-0-042-5
1150:Ross, R. (2013).
1043:978-1-60473-456-0
778:Schoffeleers 1975
132:Levi Zelilo Mumba
45:
44:
36:24 September 1905
1373:
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1063:(5/6): 968–969.
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600:, p. 61,65.
595:
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572:
571:, p. 64,65.
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399:Madzi ndi nthaka
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357:Madzi ndi nthaka
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235:Colembera Bukuli
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160:or Man of Africa
95:
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1312:Further reading
1277:
1255:10.2307/3180516
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1156:. Mzuni Press.
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1116:
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881:I.C.W. (1935).
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1216:(3): 156–158.
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1183:(3): 463–464.
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980:: 113–117.
893:(4): 1019.
790:Pachai 1968
754:Linden 1975
742:Linden 1975
730:Linden 1975
670:I.C.W. 1935
646:Pachai 1968
634:Pachai 1968
598:Pachai 1968
586:Pachai 1968
569:Pachai 1968
557:Pachai 1968
518:Pachai 1968
337:Other works
1335:Categories
1249:(2): 238.
814:Young 1953
545:Lamba 1983
491:References
476:. Penguin.
427:Msyambozya
310:generation
1296:2221-4240
1263:1750-0184
1230:1750-0184
1189:0021-8537
1135:2221-4240
1102:0037-993X
1069:0257-9774
1057:Anthropos
994:0361-7882
953:0251-0391
947:: 51–74.
907:1474-0699
766:Page 1975
718:Ward 1945
658:Ross 2013
300:Msyamboza
1304:29545696
1143:29545784
1110:29778187
1077:40458858
961:24520319
116:Lilongwe
56:ChiChewa
1271:3180516
874:1581182
842:Sources
371:Nthondo
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220:Nthondo
202:Nthondo
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158:Nthondo
105:Mthenga
38:Mvera,
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101:Nkhoma
80:AChewa
52:Malawi
1300:JSTOR
1267:JSTOR
1193:JSTOR
1139:JSTOR
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1073:JSTOR
998:JSTOR
957:JSTOR
870:JSTOR
363:Works
252:past.
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832:help
149:Work
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31:Born
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