✍🏿 *African Writers* Shaaban Robert: The Father of the Modern Swahili Novel 🔗 https://www.literaturepadi.com.ng/2025/06/14/shaaban-robert-the-father-of-the-modern-swahili-novel/ Shaaban Robert (1909–1962) was one of the most revered literary figures in East African history. Born in Tanga, in the former Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania), Robert’s contributions to Swahili literature helped shape the cultural and ideological foundations of modern Tanzania. Shaaban Robert was widely celebrated as the father of the modern Swahili novel. He was a poet, essayist, biographer, and a national thinker whose works championed freedom, justice, and human dignity. His deep pride in Swahili language and culture, as well as his appreciation for other global cultures, positioned him as both a nationalist and a pan-humanist.