Hauwa Ali (pronunciationⓘ; died 1995) was a Nigerian writer known for her novels exploring the lives of Muslim women and raising questions about Islamic values and women's independence.[1] Her best-known novel, Destiny, won the Delta prize for fiction.[2]
Alia was born in Gusau in northern Nigeria.[2] She taught at the University of Maiduguri[3] and her novels were published in late 1980s. In 1995 she died of breast cancer.[3]
Writing
Ali's fiction is written from the point of view of a young unmarried woman, and presents education as "the gateway to a successful, stimulating future".[4]
The central character of her first novel Destiny (Enugu, 1988) is 16-year-old Farida. The story sets up tensions between, on one hand, education, employment, independence and a husband of Farida's choice and, on the other, a husband who persuades her relatives he offers financial security, but tries to coerce her to be subservient and agree to all his choices.[citation needed] Her second novel, Victory (Enugu, 1989), continues some of these themes and also introduces questions about inter-cultural marriage.[3]
One critic makes connections between Farida's problems and Islam, suggesting she shows "submissive acceptance of fate".[5] Another argues against this and emphasizes her "unwillingness to be discouraged" and her commitment to prayer, seeing her faith as a positive strength.[2]Destiny has been said to belong to a "tradition of Islamic resurgence, while managing to interrogate the consequence of its rigid application".[3] Ali has been described as one of the women writers in 1990s northern Nigeria "giving voice to [their] creative talents " within "walls of religion and culture".
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