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Preface

Kenule Saro-Wiwa’s execution in 1995 shocked the world and provoked widespread condemnation of the military rule of General Sani Abacha in Nigeria. Though Saro-Wiwa is best known for his activism against the Nigerian state and Shell Oil’s destruction of his Ogoni homeland and his defiant stance in the face of his illegal and immoral execution, the man himself was infinitely more complex. This new volume in the Ohio Short Histories of Africa series paints a more complete picture of the man and the many roles he played during his life: human rights and environmental activist, student of the arts, businessman, author, and government official.

This volume showcases a man who transcends African history and who remains, especially since his execution, an icon of human rights and environmental activism. Saro-Wiwa was not only a champion of human rights and a fighter against environmental degradation in his Ogoni homeland; he was also a prolific writer who helped redefine African literature. His voice was not limited to the printed word, however. He wrote extensively for stage and screen, used his artistic fame on Nigerian television to publish children’s books, and created one of the most important publishing houses in Nigeria. His fame was his springboard to political action.

Unlike other works on Ken Saro-Wiwa, this book provides the student, scholar, or casual reader a clear and concise introduction to Saro-Wiwa’s life, his works, and the importance of his legacy in Nigeria and around the world. The book serves as a guide to the reader interested in Saro-Wiwa’s literary career, his environmental and human rights work, and his brushes with the military regime in Nigeria and eventual execution. This book provides an overview of his life as a whole and melds the various aspects of his life into a coherent whole while remaining mindful of the intent of the Short Histories of Africa series.

Though the book follows a chronological approach to Saro-Wiwa’s life, several aspects of his biography and achievements overlap, such as his activities in the private sector and his writings. These discussions provide context to his work, life, and career and yet remain accessible to the casual reader.

Saro-Wiwa was a polarizing figure from the beginning of his public life during the Nigerian Civil War, attracting the attention of friends and foes alike. He is also unique in that he left a broad body of literature behind regarding every subject he engaged. As a result, much scholarship regarding his life begins with his words. In addition to his many literary works, novels such as Sozaboy, children’s books such as the Basi and Company series and many others, his various essay collections and memoirs form the backbone of the scholarship on his life, works, and legacy. Though there is no shortage of work on Saro-Wiwa, the closest to a biography of the man comes from his son in the latter’s memoir In the Shadow of a Saint. This book will serve as a high-profile addition to both the scholarship on Saro-Wiwa and a valuable addition to the Short Histories of Africa series. It provides a unique study of a man whose multifaceted legacy transcends the internal politics of Nigeria and even African Studies. Saro-Wiwa left in his wake a legacy that makes him a truly global figure.