Achebe or Soyinka: A Study in Contrasts

This is a study of Africa’s most widely read, and, arguably, her finest writers. Despite their shared nationality and levels of prestige, each represents a distinct pole of Nigerian writing. On the one hand, there is Wole Soyinka, the playful imagist steeped in the myth and magic of his native Yoruba culture; at the other end of the spectrum, Chinua Achebe’s internalized Igbo cultural traditions. Kole Omotoso – himself a prolific writer and prize-winning Nigerian novelist – explores and defines the differences in style, background, and vision between the two men. Individual chapters describe the childhood and early experiences of each writer, their cultural influences, education, lifestyles, and political involvement. Omotoso also observes the responses of Nigerian, British and American critics to their output, with a final chapter dedicated to the vision of each writer for Nigeria. An extensive bibliography completes the volume.