The first black winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka breasts the tape of ninety years. Events erupt everywhere, celebrating his genius and unusual life’s journey. From Lagos to Rabat, London to the ends of the earth, scholars, government officials, and associates reflect on his mammoth contributions to global literature and their implication for the African world. Our writers witnessed a number and report.


A trio of editorial explorations serve as lead articles in this issue, devoted to will writing and the absence of one by deceased creative artists. The reviews deal with cultural inhibitions to will production in Africa, challenges posed by early exits and the emergent phenomenon of digital estates!

In this special civil rights issue, sixty years after the march on Washington, our reviews variously reflect on how the struggle against racial inequality continues into the present generation in other forms both by direct descendants of the pioneers and by children of those they inspired.

Despite the attainment of legal equality, prejudice proves its resilience and a new generation is confronting it through the arts and innovative technology.

The decade of the 80’s was replete with pivotal contests of literary ideas and ideals, waged not only within the confines of Universities and Colleges but extended their sparring grounds to the public domain through the newspapers. The beauty of most of these was that friends famously 2023 rattled the sabre against their own friends. They also featured teeth-greeted rivals, all for which Nigeria’s literary culture and history remain greatly enriched. A succession of reviews cover some of these famous battles. Plus many other articles in this issue.

NIGERIA’S PREMIER PLAYHOUSE: Numerous grand colonial structures arose in towns and cities across Nigeria, some as civic reception venues for the colonial elite, others as general community hubs. Most could and actually hosted productions of plays and musicals. None however was built as a full performance theatre until the University College, Ibadan included a procenium theatre among its inaugural buildings. Our lead review digs into the early days of the English language theatre on Ibadan Varsity’s Arts Theatre stage, recalling great drama icons and landmark productions in the birthplace of today’s Nollywood industry.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BLACK FILM?
A major film production in 1973 initiated by one of the largest and most powerful civil organisations in the world, an African American women’s sorority, raised hopes of a revival in black film culture. The initiative promised to redress some of Hollywood’s excesses in the portrayal of Africa and African American life. However, one of Hollywood’s landmark institutions was chosen to distribute the film, a case of using Hollywood to clip the wings of Hollywood. Naturally, the plan fell through and the promising project became an archival relic. As the film, Countdown At Kusini, reappears at film festivals, many questions are raised than there are answers.

And lots more.

Reviews on Tate Modern commission of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui; the launch of African women's fashion headwraps in Nigeria and Ghana; a deep foray into Camberwell, London's southeast hub connecting the historical background as a black cultural groundswell to an unrestrained present; an exploration of the absorbing cultural and literary front lines of New York;  a bare-it-all directly by one of the continent's best known visual artists Bruce Onobrakpeya, intent on his mission for African art housed within the Niger Delta; And much more.

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Covers reviews and reports on contemporary African art and culture in various creative arms, in Africa and the African diaspora.

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