Muhammed Said Abdulla facts for kids

Muhammad Said Abdulla (born April 25, 1918 – died March 1991) was a famous writer from Tanzania. He wrote many stories in the Swahili language. People often say he was a pioneer in popular Swahili literature. This means he helped start a new way of writing exciting and popular stories for many readers.

A Writer's Journey

Muhammad Said Abdulla was born in a place called Makunduchi, on the island of Zanzibar. This was on April 25, 1918. He grew up in a Muslim family.

Early Life and Education

He went to a missionary school for his high school education. After finishing school in 1938, he started working. His first job was as an inspector for the government's Civil Health Department. While working there, he also helped edit a newspaper. It was called the Swahili Bulletin and was for the Department of Agriculture.

Becoming a Journalist

Later, Muhammad Abdulla became a full-time journalist. In 1948, he became the main editor of a newspaper called Zanzibari. He also worked as an assistant editor for other newspapers. These included Al-Falaq, Afrika Kwetu, and Al Mahda. From 1958 until he retired in 1968, he was the editor of an agricultural magazine called Mkulima.

Starting His Fiction Writing

In 1958, Muhammad Abdulla's first fiction story, Mzimu wa Watu wa Kale, won a big award. It won top honors at the Swahili Story-Writing Competition. This competition was held by the East African Literature Bureau. In 1960, this story was published as a full novel.

His novel was special because it was different from the traditional folktales that were popular in Swahili literature at the time. Mzimu wa Watu wa Kale was also the first time readers met Bwana Msa. Bwana Msa is a detective character who appears in most of Abdulla's later books. As Abdulla wrote more novels, his plots became more complex and interesting. His stories often showed a main character who had to fight against old beliefs and superstitions to solve a problem.

His Books

Here are some of the popular books written by Muhammad Said Abdulla:

• Shrine of the Ancestors (Mzimu wa Watu wa Kale), published in 1960
• The Well of Giningi (Kisima cha Giningi), published in 1968
• In the World There Are People (Duniani Kuna Watu), published in 1973
• The Secret of the Zero (Siri ya Sifuri), published in 1974
• One Wife, Three Husbands (Mke Mmoja Waume Watatu), published in 1975
• The Devil's Child is Taken Care of (Mwana wa Yungi Hulewa), published in 1976
• Bwana Msa's Mistake (Kosa la Bwana Msa), published in 1984

Awards and Recognition

• Swahili Story-writing Contest (1957-1958) for his book Mzimu wa Watu wa Kale