THE PEOPLE'S POET: EMERGING PERSPECTIVES ON NIYI OSUNDARE

This book explores the emergence of the award-winning Niyi Osundare, a modern Nigerian poet. It examines how Osundare started in Ikere-Ekiti as a “farmer-born, peasant-bred” oral singer to becoming one of the world’s most celebrated African poets. Osundare has won the Association of Nigerian Authors Prize, the Commonwealth Poetry Award, the Japanese sponsored Noma Award, and the Folon-Nichols award. He also accepted a Honoris Causa of the prestigious Université de Toulouse le Mirial in France.

This book presents a unique collection of essays on Osundare’s work by renowned scholars around the world. The preface is written by Abiola Irele and the afterword by Biodun Jeyifo. Among the other contributors are Eldred Durosimi Jones, Stephen Arnold, Doug Killam, Bernth Lindfors, Donald Burness, S. Louisa Wei, John Kinsella, Jane Bryce, Tejumola Olaniyan, Tayo Olafioye, Tanure Ojaide, Femi Oyebode, Titi Adepitan, Omoniyi Afolabi, Adewunmi Adesokan, and Sunday Enesi Ododo.