Chigozie Obioma’s “The Road to the Country” emerges as a sweeping narrative set against the backdrop of Nigeria’s civil war. The story centres on Kunle, a university student in Lagos, who embarks on a perilous journey to save his missing brother amid the chaos of conflict. Obioma’s prose, described by The Wall Street Journal as Read More…
Tag: Literature
Teju Cole’s ‘Tremor’: A Multifaceted Literary Odyssey Redefining Art, History, and Humanity
Teju Cole’s “Tremor” stands as a testament to his multifaceted talents, blending seamlessly his roles as a novelist, essayist, critic, and photographer into a narrative that defies the confines of traditional categorization. Within its pages, Cole’s distinct capabilities from his previous works — the storytelling finesse of “Every Day Is for the Thief” and “Open Read More…
Chimamanda advocates for more African stories
“African stories crucial for heritage, development,” says award-winning writer Nigerian-born and award-winning writer, Chimamanda Adichie, has emphasised the importance of more African stories to preserve the continent’s heritage, history, and development. She spoke at the launch of CANEX Book Factory and Prize for Publishing in Africa during the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Summit in Cairo, Read More…
Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa @ 82
Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa, famously known as Ken Saro-Wiwa, would have been 82 today, October 10. My lionised friend packed too many lifetimes into one life. His hanging by the General Sani Abacha regime on November 10, 1995 was a universal cause célèbre. It can be all too easy for many to give Ogoni activism the Read More…
Two transformative books of faith: Abisola Gabi-Williams’ spiritual journey
By Olatoun Gabi-Williams To view it as beautifully written prayer guidelines would be to undersell its 249 pages. From the Acknowledgements, Preface, foreword, and Introduction, through the 14 chapters, epilogue, references, and End notes, what the author, Abisola Gabi-Williams, has produced is an inspired tapestry of doctrine combined with a prayer manual and fused with Read More…
The Writer in Kole Omotoso Never Dies
The news that came from Johannesburg, South Africa on July 19 was heartrending: Kole Omotoso is dead! The lionized writer, Kole Omotoso, was my teacher at the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, for four years of my study there in the Dramatic Arts Department with Professor Wole Soyinka as Head of Department. Read More…
From Onitsha Market Literature to Nollywood
By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu Whenever Onitsha gets into any business, other cities take a back seat. When market literature was in vogue, Onitsha was the leader. Now that home movies have taken over, Onitsha has shot ahead as the centre of the booming trade. According to a study published by the British Library in 1990, Read More…
Between Starshine and Clay
Written by Sarah Ladipo Manyika, and published in 2022 by Footnote Press, Between Starshine and Clay is a composition of encounters with 11 living and 1 deceased titan of modern history. Manyika, a British/Nigerian/American writer, has produced magnificent word portraits of these 12 luminaries. The spirit emanating from each portrait evokes the abundance of images Read More…
11 in race for $100,000 NLNG Literary Prize
The Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature released the shortlist of 11 drawn from 287 books in the running for the 2022 edition of the prize, focused on poetry. The literature prize is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) with a cash award of $100,000. The 11 books on the longlist, in alphabetical Read More…
The Legend of JP Clark
By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu The living legend, Emeritus Professor John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, universally known as JP Clark, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, October 13, aged 85. Tributes have poured in from across the globe in celebration of the iconic poet, dramatist and folklorist. JP Clark belonged to the troika of Nigeria’s literary Read More…