Pages from the Book of the Sun: New and Selected Poems

by Niyi Osundare

This long-expected collection brings together some of the best poems by one of Africa’s most important poets. Covering nearly two decades, it represents a substantial part of the poet’s new writing as well as poems from his early works. With remarkable vigor and consistency, Osundare addresses major social and aesthetic issues of our time such as justice, freedom, war, racism, the environment, art, and the process of writing poetry, all of which are treated as urgent and engaging themes in a variety of delightful and grippingly lyrical styles. Osundare’s advocacy of the poetry of performance and the need to give orature a place in writing by reuniting the mouth and the ear are consistent in these poems, which are charged and enriched by the energy and beauty of oral poetic tradition. Passionate, musical, and highly expressive, the poems in this collection contain a bold experimental spirit that balances the integrity of art and the relevance of content.

264 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Niyi Osundare is a leading Nigerian poet, dramatist, linguist, and literary critic. His poetry is influenced by the oral traditions of his Yorùbá culture. Osundare is a champion of free speech and his creative and critical writings are closely associated with political activism, decolonization, black internationalism, and the environment. He is the recipient of numerous prizes, including the Noma Award (Africa's most prestigious book award), the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Poetry Prize, the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, the Tchicaya U Tam'si Poetry Prize, the ANA/Cadbury Poetry Prize (twice), and the Fonlon/Nichols Award, which he received in 1998 for "excellence in literary creativity combined with significant contributions to Human Rights in Africa." In 2014, Osundare was admitted to the National Order of Merit, his country's highest honor for intellectual distinction. Until recently, he was the Distinguished Professor of English at the University of New Orleans.

Reviews

[NCHS Library]

From Follett:
A collection of poetry by African poet Niyi Osundare, addresses major social issues such as justice, freedom, war, racism, and the environment.