Kano Market Literature and the Construction of Hausa-Islamic Feminism

This study of contemporary Hausa literature analyzes the vast body of popular literature currently referred to as Kano market literature, known to Hausa speakers as Littattafan Soyayya (‘books of love’). The popularity of this genre of popular romance fiction rests firmly upon its subject matter, one that has proven controversial within the conservative Muslim environment of Hausa society. On the surface, the novels pre-occupy themselves with sagas of love and marital relationships, depicting the ordeals faced by courting lovers or married couples. However, upon closer examination, the novels have become an explorative territory for the socially, culturally, and religiously loaded issues of polygyny, marriages of coercion, purdah (the Islamic tradition of female seclusion) and the accessibility of female education. In effect, Kano market literature reflects the reality of rapid social change confronting Hausa society and positions itself as a voice seeking to offer new perspectives on gender relations. Given its engrossment with female-oriented issues, this study looks at the works of two celebrated women writers, Balaraba Ramat Yakubu and Bilkisu Ahmed Funtuwa.