John Munonye
John Munonye (April 1929 – 10 May 1999)[1] is an important Igbo writer and one of the most important Nigerian writers of the 20th century. He was born in Akokwa, Nigeria, and was educated at the University of Ibadan and the Institute of Education, London. He retired as the head of the Advanced Teacher Training College, Owerri.
Criticism and style
John Munonye, unlike some of his contemporaries professed a love for optimism in the face of colonial onslaught on traditional values. To him, the dialectical environment of African and western tradition can be seen in both a positive light and outcome for the common Igbo or Nigerian man or woman. An overriding theme in his novels is the focus on the common man. Munonye sometimes view the common man as being born into a position whereby he is already at a disadvantage, both historically and presently, He sees little difference to the fate of the common man who could be manipulated at the whims of elites and chiefs in both pre- and post-colonial Nigeria and during colonialism.
Works
- The Only Son: Heinemann (African Writers Series, 21), 1966
- Obi, Ibadan: Heinemann (African Writers Series, 45), 1969.
- Oil Man of Obange: Heinemann (African Writers Series, 94), 1971
- A Wreath for the Maidens: Heinemann (African Writers Series, 121), 1973.
- A Dancer of Fortune: Heinemann (African Writers Series, 153), 1974.
- Bridge to a Wedding: Heinemann (African Writers Series, 195), 1978.
References
- Bernth Lindfors and Reinhard Sander (eds), Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 117: Twentieth-Century Caribbean and Black African Writers. The Gale Group, 1992.
- ↑ Ezenwa-Ohaeto. "The Last to Go" (PDF). Glendora Review, Vol. 3, No. 1. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
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