One of the greatest disadvantages of reading widely as a writer is that what you read can cross-pollinate your writing so thoroughly that a keen reader begins to notice snippets, bits and pieces of other people’s works in your own literary output.
This happens often, and what we need to distinguish, as readers, is the difference between a writer being influenced by others whose works they have read and plain plagiarism. Intertextuality, the relationship between one literary work and another, is a healthy thing for a number of reasons.
One, writers are society’s sharpest needles. They detect patterns and motifs and, through sheer observation, isolate the major issues confronting society. By focusing on these thematic concerns, they draw readers in because the latter recognise their own experiences, fears and aspirations in what is written.
Two, great writers read widely. By reading what others have written, writers, especially in our part of the world, benefit in several ways. First off, in Kenya, Kiswahili and English are our official languages. While there have been calls to write in African languages, many writers, especially upcoming ones, write in English and Kiswahili. For many Kenyan writers, neither language is their first language.
Reading widely therefore helps upcoming writers sharpen their command of both languages.
