By Su’eddie Vershima Agema •
Title: Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography
• Author: Sule E. Egya • Publisher: SEVHAGE and WHITELINE • Year of publication: 2017 • Number of pages: 334 • Category: Biography
Two evenings ago, I sat across from Professor Idris Amali alongside other prominent Nigerian writers at a reading, as he discussed a book on Niyi Osundare that he had assessed. He spoke of some portions of the book – fi nely written by a reputable scholar – as he encouraged the poet, Sam Ogabidu, to gear up and take his poetry to new heights. Like I would do concerning anything with relationto Osundare, I tuned my ears to listen, waiting for the right moment to ask where I could get the book. I am a big Niyi Osundare fan – the man and the writer.
I discovered much later, to my pleasant surprise, that the book spoken about was one I was familiar with: Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography by Sule E. Egya. Th e biography is an exciting sub-genre of prose (non-fi ction) that focuses on the life of an individual as told by another writer. It is usually a narration of the life of a subject covering such aspects as childhood, education, signifi cant life events, and relationships.
A literary biography focuses more on the literary aspect of the subject of a biography. It tells the story behind the works and personage of writers. One can say, literary biographies look at life writing, showing people’s experiences which act as a source of encouragement or learning for people who are facing similar events and even those who aren’t. Th ese biographies have remained popular and successful for many reasons usually including the subjects who are often respected writers or people whose lives are/were interesting. Th e success is also due to the desire of people to understand the story of the lives of such writers and learn or pick a thing or two in the process. For whatever reason people read literary biographies, they are a good source of information on the backstory of authors or literary phases giving invaluable life details.
Th rough the years, readers have resorted to reading biographies and autobiographies of diff erent writers to fi nd out more about the true people behind the people they have come to respect and adore in writing. Popular biographies include V. S. Prichett’s Chekhov: A Spirit Set Free,Brody Paul’s Brontë: A Literary Family, Albert Bigelow Paine’s Mark Twain: A Biography,and Dianne Shober’s Literary Bridges: Th e Life and Works of Sindiwe Magona. Examples of some Nigerian literary biographies and autobiographies include Ezenwa-Ohaeto’sChinua Achebe: A Biography, Obi Nwakanma’s Christopher Okigbo, 1930-1967: Th irsting for Sunlight,Phanuel Egejuru’s Chinua Achebe: Pure and Simple, Femi Osofi san’s J. P. Clark: A Voyage and Okey Ndibe’s Never look an American in the eye. Th ere are only a few people who do not know of the ‘Market Place’ poet, Niyi Osundare, whose verse is not a hard kernel to crack, with its deceptive simplicity, depth and beauty. He has remained a fi erce critic of government whose poetry columns and open letters have spared no leader, especially since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999.
Osundare has remained a myth, like most great writers in Nigeria, whose stories are often left untold. Certain aspects of his life has remained a puzzle like his rise to greatness; the reason for his simple poetry as opposed to the obscure poetry of a lot of ‘proper’ poets like Okigbo or traditional Soyinka; why he has remained a staunch social critic; why he left for the United States of America despite being a critic of the brain drain syndrome. What happened in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and how did he survive? Importantly, what is the story behind the man that is the poet and scholar? Is he human? Does he have a life? In trying to uncover most of this, several people have tried to pick what they can from the internet and from readings.
However, there is only as much information that can be gleaned from such sources. Th us, there was always a need for a literary biography of him.Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography answers these questions and so much more. Th e intent of the author in writing it was to suggest a means through which students and scholars can fruitfully engage in a biographical criticism of his work and also in the interest of lovers of Osundare – the man and his works. On this note, one can state that Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography is the story of one of Nigeria’s most prolifi c poets and scholars. In this biography, the fi rst full length of Osundare in print, award winning writer and scholar, Sule E. Egya takes readers on a journey through time and several places to uncover Osundare in ways that unravels the mystery behind him.
It is a work of great depth that fi rmly shows the literary life of a deserving artiste in words that will inspire readers and scholars alike. It is a collector’s item and an indispensable addition to the Nigerian literary biographical cannon. Th e book is divided into ten chapters of varying length.Ittraces the humble rural beginnings of Osundare who was born to a farmer-father in Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria.
Th e story continues through to his education in Ekiti and Ibadan, to Leeds and Canada. Th e next aspects narrate his growth as a scholar, writer, poet and activist in diff erent respects in the University of Ibadan and as scholar-writer in the United States of America, on one hand, and as a journalist/social commentator on the other hand. Th e timeline for the biography is from Osundare’s birth on 12th March, 1947 to 2014. In this regard, later events in his life are not captured. One gathers a lot of interesting bits from the book including the tales behind the formation of certain literary works of his as well as generous sprinklings of these work and events which had hitherto being found in little bits from varied sources. Readers will get to know of the assassination attempt on Osundare’s life in the 80’s while in the University of Ibadan and how he survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005. His strict stance as a person, a humanist and liberalist is also highlighted in full.
His various awards, both international and national, are highlighted including his acceptance of some state awards which some people criticised. Osundare’s fi ghts with the establishment and continuous uprightness is also given prominence in several places, not forgetting his humility. To add colour to the book, there are eighteen pages of coloured pictures that show diff erent aspects of Osundare’s life as well as important people and writers who have played one role or the other in his career and general life.
Th e biography is easily accessible due to the simple diction employed by the author and the fl owing story-telling style employed the author in narration. Osundare’s story is told in a straight chronological order from his birth to present times. As is the order with most biographies, Sule weaves a tale while using the recollections and views of people who know Osundare, including classmates, colleagues, and Osundare himself. Th e line-up of people interviewed for the collection include Remi Raji, Osundare’s most renowned protégé; Ayo Banjo; Femi Osofi san; Isidore Okpewho; Aigboje Higo; Pieetro Deandra, Cynthia Hogue; Kadija George; Mercy Ette; Abimbola Kunle; Adewale Maja-Pearce; Obodoimma Oha; John Ifenyinwa Njokama; Saleh Abdu; Taiwo Oloruntoba; Afam Akeh; Kolawole Gboyega; Stewart Brown; Foluso Osundare and Ifasimiya Osundare.
Th e views of members of Osundare’s immediate family members – his wife and children – are notably absent from the narrative. Th e author explains that this was due to the poet blocking him from reaching Osundare’s wife and children, “something having to do with his principles” (xii). Th is can be easily excused as it does not take much away from the work which really centres on the literary aspect of the author, with bonus sprinkling from other aspects of his life that readers are made privy to. It is also noteworthy that though their views are not mentioned in particular, the author captures the life of Osundare as a family man showing several sacrifi ces that he has had to make as a father and as a husband.
Professor Oyeniyi Okunoye notes of the book that “Th ere can be no better platform to register the debt that Osundare owes his parentage, the rigorous discipline of his mentors and the diverse environments in which his outlook on the world has been shaped than this carefully crafted biography. [Sule] Egya highlights Osundare’s prodigious talent, his unwavering ethical compass, his infectious humanism, his enduring faith in the capacity of literature to reshape the world, and the harmony between his creative imagination and polemical writing.”
Little can be removed from this truth which readily summarises the book. Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography is a book that general readers and scholars will appreciate, not just because of the literary lessons people will pick from it, but also because of the entertaining narrative of the life of a very fascinating man. Th e book is available in bookshops across the nation and can be ordered at [email protected]. Agema, an Editor and Development Worker, is the author of Home Equals Holes: Tale of an Exile, Th e Bottom of Another Tale and Bring our Casket Home: Tales one shouldn’t tell.
