From Literature 2.0 to Twitterature or Xerature: The Birth and Canonicity of Nigerian Xerature

Nigerian literature has long used paper and film as primary media for cultural expression and exporting African culture and civilisation. However, the advent of datafication and botification in the turn of millennium, particularly within social media, has brought forth a new era. This shift is peculiarly evident in the ‘Twitterverse’, where Nigerian Twitterature, or ‘Xerature’, emerged in 2014, largely due to the work of Nigerian-American novelist Teju Cole. His minimalist ‘Twittories’ addressed Nigeria’s socio-political landscape. This article aims to raise awareness, trace the origins, and define this evolving genre while proposing canonisation and methodological approaches to its study reported in a sustained reading of Hafsat Dauda (@HafsahDauda)’s Las, Las Nigeria is Home 2020.

Yohanna Joseph Waliya, Angela Awhobiwom Ajimase, Franklin Ubi David