May Balisidya

May Lenna Balisidya Matteru (May 10, 1947 – December 27, 1987) was a Tanzanian author writing in the Swahili language.

She was born in Dodoma and attended primary and secondary school there. Balisidya received a BA from the University of East Africa at Dar es Salaam in 1970 and a MA in oral literature from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1978. She obtained her PhD in African literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in November 1987.[1][2]

From 1977 to 1987, she was a lecturer in the Kiswahili department of the University of Dar es Salaam.[1]

In 1971, she was elected to the Swahili National Council of Tanzania;[2] she served two terms as vice-chairman of the council.[1]

Balisidya died at the age of 40 from cancer.[1]

Selected works[3]
  • Shida ("Hardships"), novel
  • Ayubu ("Job"), play
  • Tujifunze Kusoma ("Let's learn to read"), children's book

References
  1. "In Memoriam: Dr. May Balisidya Matteru (1947 - 1987)". Kiswahili (pdf). University of Dar es Salaam. 54: 3–13.
  2. "A Storyteller to Remember". African languages and literature. University of Wisconsin.
  3. Otiso, Kefa M (2013). Culture and Customs of Tanzania. p. 82. ISBN 978-0313087080.
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