The first African to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, as well as a
political activist of prodigious energies, Wole Soyinka now follows his
modern classic Ake: The Years of Childhood with an equally important
chronicle of his turbulent life as an adult in (and in exile from) his
beloved, beleaguered homeland.
In the tough, humane, and lyrical language that has typified his plays
and novels, Soyinka captures the indomitable spirit of Nigeria itself by
bringing to life the friends and family who bolstered and inspired him,
and by describing the pioneering theater works that defied censure and
tradition. Soyinka not only recounts his exile and the terrible reign of
General Sani Abacha, but shares vivid memories and playful
anecdotes-including his improbable friendship with a prominent Nigerian
businessman and the time he smuggled a frozen wildcat into America so
that his students could experience a proper Nigerian barbecue.
More than a major figure in the world of literature, Wole Soyinka is a
courageous voice for human rights, democracy, and freedom. You Must Set
Forth at Dawn is an intimate chronicle of his thrilling public life, a
meditation on justice and tyranny, and a mesmerizing testament to a
ravaged yet hopeful land.