Why Akata Witch Isn’t “Nigerian Harry Potter”?
In light of just finishing the book, Akata Witch, I wanted to explore why people have dubbed this series as the "Nigerian Harry Potter." Growing up, I read the Harry Potter franchise, including the dreaded Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and have always admired J. K. Rowling's ability to integrate magical realism into her fictitious world seamlessly. Because Harry Potter is one of the most well-known fantasy series, it has become the standard for this genre, despite the books not being the first of its kind to be written. When we compare Nnedi Okorafor’s books to the franchise, we as the audience are discrediting her influences for writing the Akata Witch series.
Dr. Okorafor took to Twitter to dispel the label by honoring her inspirations: her family trips to Arondizugogu, Sandra Marume (an albino and Igbo girl who she based Sunny off of), Famished Road by Ben Okri, and The Palm Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola.
While both series involve a similar theme of introducing the main character being oblivious to a magical world in the beginning, leading up to them fulfilling their prophecy as a savior, there are key differences in how each author tackles this idea. In my opinion, Okorafor does more to emphasize Nigerian culture than J. K. Rowling does, in general, for any culture. It truly felt like the audience went through an immersion of Nigerian culture from being exposed to their language, clothing, foods, and customs. Not only is Nigerian culture highlighted traditionally, but it carries over into the ways of the Leopard people too. Like many Nigerian families, the Leopard people also emphasize the importance of familial bonds and hierarchy by working together as one unit (the Oha coven) and valuing the wisdom and experiences of elders, respectively. With the Harry Potter books, being part of the Wizarding World was a lifestyle rather than it being influenced by customs like it is in Akata Witch.
For the main reason I’ve outlined, I agree with Dr. Okorafor’s sentiments of typecasting Akata Witch as “Nigerian Harry Potter.” Moving forward, I hope that we can celebrate works of art, like books and movies, without feeling the need to place malicious labels, whether it was unintended or not, to grasp its meaning.
