A vivid coming-of-age tale about a young man trying to make his way as a journalist and band leader in a big Nigerian city. When Chinua Achebe became the editor of the legendary Heinemann African Writers Series, one of the first books he chose was a collection of stories by Cyprian Ekwensi. People of the City, Ekwensi’s early masterpiece, is the tale of Amusa Sango, a young man who travels from the country to a great and crazy city that is not named but might well be taken for Lagos, where he means to make a career as a crime reporter for the never less than sensational West African Sensation while leading a dance band whose calypsos and konkomas “delight the heart of city women.” Amusa is a man on the make, looking for stories, success, sex, maybe even love, and he finds a lot of what he’s looking for, though whether he can hold on to what he has and get what he wants is another story altogether. Ekwensi’s delicious novel has the swagger, bravado, and elation of the great bands of West Africa.
In this groundbreaking novella, Cyprian Ekwensi narrates the spectacular adventures of a nomadic family whose lives are turned upside down when their great leader is cursed by his rival to the throne. When Chief Mai Sunsaye smells the smoke of burning grass, he knows it is time to go. Such is the nomadic life of the Fulani. Yet when Mai Sunsaye's rival, Ardo, curses him with wanderer's disease, it provokes in him a new-found sense of adventure, one which takes him further than he ever could have imagined... Full of love, magic, and fateful happenings, Burning Grass is an unforgettable tale that has captured the imagination of children and adults alike. 'A joy to read; his glorious imagination captured ours.' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 'One of the most prolific African writers of the twentieth century.' Charles R. Larson 'Magical occurrences, mysterious and seductive women, acts of phenomenal heroism, and swift-paced adventure.' Margaret Laurence
One of a series of readers for African students which aims to help them to develop an awareness and a love of language, and consists of stories from all over Africa. In this story King Sinanda wants to rule for ever, but is an evil man with many enemies. He destroys them, but whom can he now trust?
Part of a series of readers for young African students and consisting of stories from all over Africa, the Level 1 starters are picture books for children who have just begun to read for themselves. In this story Uzo goes to the beach with his mother, but ignores the red-flag warning of rough seas.
Forget all your fears now. Have a fling this night"' Untrustworthy, charming Fussy Joe spins stories and breaks hearts in this rollicking story set in the 'sensational city' of 1960s Lagos. Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York's underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.
One of a series of readers for African students which aims to help them to develop an awareness and a love of language, and consists of stories from all over Africa. In this story Ihanyi invites an American friend to the local masquerade, where the spirits of the dead come to life.
Cyprian Ekwensi is the outstanding chronicler of Nigerian city life. In this collection of his short stories, all the excitement and urgency as well as the seediness and disillusion that make up the urban world of the Hotel France, the Harlem, Marine Beach, and the Kano Limited are contained. Characters like Fussy Joe, Jagua, Nancy of the Grand Palm Hotel, Charlie the Coin-Diver, and the Stranger from Lagos emerge and go their various ways, crushed or triumphant after their brush with the hard, bright city. All the bustle, gaiety, and hectic action are put into perspective by the controlled economy of Ekwensi's writing. This is a splendid collection of stories to read and treasure.
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