The Snail Hunters by Martina Eteng; Kraft Books Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria ,2011 Reviewer,Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor

It is a thing of joy today to note that the Nigerian writer remains vibrant in spite of the difficult times Nigerian publishers are going through. The number of titles being churned out annually remains a major tribute to the resilient spirit of the Nigerian creative spirit. Indeed, it was Ben Okri, the Nigerian writer and winner of the Booker Prize that says there is hope for any nation so long as their writers continue to write. The fact that the Nigerian writer continues to write and get his or her work published means that all hope is not lost in spite of the economic and political mess we are today passing through.

Literature is therefore assessed in relation to its social functions. The absence of publishing houses has not stopped young writers from coming out with new titles. The story is a very familiar one. Nigeria once had a vibrant publishing industry that churned out several literary titles of books for children. Today these publishing houses are either dead or are in a state of comatose. Their publishers have either closed shops or are facing serious economic recession forcing many of them to publish only the so called bread and butter school texts. The Nigerian publishing industry is in deep financial distress. Nigerian publishers are in dire need of economic bail out from the Federal Government. A major infusion of fund into the book publishing industry is very imperative if they must survive. Let me use this opportunity to call on the government to give financial grants to publishers so that the industry which is currently in a state of comatose will survive the current economic recession.

Role of

publishers

Publishers play a vital role in the education of our children because they churn out books without which education will be impossible. They midwife the creative works of the writers. Serious creative writing in Nigeria will die if publishers cannot have access to funds. It is not enough to encourage our children to read. Government must create an enabling environment for the publishing industry to survive and for the writer to practice his art.

I therefore pay tribute to the resilient spirit of the Nigerian writer today who still churns out titles even though he or she has to do this with subsidy publishers with their attendant myriads of problems in spite of the unfriendly business climate.

It is in the light of this background that I welcome with both hands, The Snail Hunters by Martina Eteng who is not only a prolific writer but also a very active member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Abuja branch.

The Snail Hunters is the latest book by Martina Eteng. It is a novella that could be enjoyed by children between the ages of 8 to 15. The book is a most welcome addition to the growing titles of children literature genre. The story book is a publication of Kraft Books Ltd, one of Nigeria’s leading publishers of literary works and headed by the visionary and dynamic Steve Shaba. Just as the author dedicated her work to ‘all children who lost their childhood to poverty’, the tale is centred on the adventures of two indigent boys whose efforts to go to school in spite of their poverty that lead them to a series of adventure.

In a nutshell, The Snail Hunters tells the story of 2 boys Usani and Iyam who came from poor homes.

Search for Snails

The story is set in the village of Kululu in Nigeria and took off when the boys went into Kululu forest in their search for snails for them to sell in order to use the proceeds to pay their school fees because they were sent away from school due to their inability to pay their school fees as their parents were indigent.

The story took a dramatic turn when they ran into a giant python in the heart of Kululu forest. In their apparent attempt to escape from the python they got lost and ended up at the village of Agidi, the enemy’s territory as Agidi was almost at war with Kululu. The boys were arrested by a famous hunter, Obuli-Kojor who took them to the King of Agidi. Agidi community would have offered them as sacrifice to appease their gods but for the intervention of the Chief Priest of Agidi, Obowo-Bowo who divined that the fate of Agidi community is tied to Usani. The result was that the boys were saved and to prove the Chief Priest of Agidi right, the King produced a heir to his throne as a result of saving Usani.

The story of The Snail Hunters paints a very clear message: there is reward in hard work, determination and honesty. This is a very good message for children and young adults. Martina Eteng’s novella equally underscored the fact that poverty should not deter a child from attaining his or her dream and that through diligence and hard work poverty could be overcome. The story also explored the role of fate in the affairs of men.