The shocking execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa at the hands of the Nigerian government in 1995 stirred new interest in the many facets of his life—as novelist and short story writer, radio and television personality, publisher and entrepreneur, political and environmental activist. This interdisciplinary collection critically assesses Saro-Wiwa’s exceptional life and work from a range of fresh perspectives.
The authors examine Saro-Wiwa’s literary output both in terms of literary criticism and within a political framework. They give equal attention to his more public roles, including public reaction within Nigeria to his work. A comprehensive, annotated bibliography of print and electronic resources on Saro-Wiwa is an indispensable feature of the book.
Craig W. McLuckie is professor of English at Okanagan University College in British Columbia. He is author of Nigerian Civil War Literature and co-editor of Critical Perspectives on Dennis Brutus. Aubrey McPhail is in the English Department at the College of the Rockies.
"The editors have done an outstanding job of bringing together first-rate minds to cover the multiple dimensions of Saro-Wiwa's writing and political career.... The bibliography is extensive and impressive.... This is probably the most comprehensive book to date analyzing Saro-Wiwa's creativity."—Toyin Falola, Canadian Journal of African Studies
"A fitting tribute to a writer of great versatility and a political activist of exceptional courage."—Mpalive-Hangson Msiska, The Times Higher Education Supplement
"This work constitutes an important resource for those interested in Saro-Wiwa and Nigerian Politics."—Morawedun Adejunmobi, Journal of Modern African Studies
"The McLuckie-McPhail volume [strikes] ... the right balance between honoring the man and criticizing his patent excesses. The detailed bibliography, careful organization of essays, and diversity of information in this volume also make it an outstanding contribution to Africa literary studies, the best resource on Saro-Wiwa to date."—Christopher Wise, Research in African Literatures
