"The leopard's stealthy gait is not a result of cowardice; it is simply stalking a prey." (Do not mistake people's gentle nature for spinelessness.) "The rabbit that eats yams and enjoys them will return for more." (People remember good experiences and seek their repetition.) "The chicken sweats, but its down prevents us from knowing." (Everybody has his or her problems, although strangers may not guess.) "The mouth does not say, 'I ate once before.'" (Hunger is not something one assuages once and for all.) "It is a light rain that chases a child indoors; it is a raging torrent that shakes the raffia palm to its roots." (Every person, however lowly or mighty, has his or her nemesis.) Yoruba Proverbs is the most comprehensive collection to date of more than five thousand Yoruban proverbs that showcase Yoruba oral tradition. Following Oyekan Owomoyela's introduction, which provides a framework and description of Yoruba cultural beliefs, the proverbs are arranged by theme into five sections: the good person; the fortunate person (or the good life); relationships; human nature; rights and responsibilities; and truisms. Each proverb is presented in Yoruba with a literal English translation, followed by a brief commentary explaining the meaning of the proverb within the oral tradition. This definitive source book on Yoruba proverbs is the first to give such detailed, systematic classification and analysis alongside a careful assessment of the risks and pitfalls of submitting this genre to the canons of literary analysis. Oyekan Owomoyela is the author of A History of Twentieth-Century African Literatures and Yoruba Trickster Tales, both published by the University of Nebraska Press.

Yoruba Trickster Tales come out of the tradition of evening storytelling, a popular form of entertainment in traditional African societies. A favorite genre among these folktales is the trickster tale, variations of which are found in many cultures around the world. Among the Yoruba of West Africa (mostly in western Nigeria but also in neighboring Bénin), the trickster character is Àjàpá, the tortoise. The repertory of tales about him is seemingly inexhaustible. In this volume Oyekan Owomoyela offers a representative gathering of twenty-three Yoruba trickster tales. Àjàpá is notable for his strikingly human habits, abilities, weaknesses, moods, and disposition. We discover different aspects of Àjàpá in these tales, including his vanity and resourcefulness, his appetites and playfulness, and his amusing relations with his friends. As we read through these entertaining stories, we gain a many-sided view of this fascinating character and the spirited world in which he lives. These tales of the trickster Àjàpá will appeal to readers of all ages, learned and not so—even as they introduce us to a vital folk culture.

Composed by a premier scholar of African literature, this volume is a comprehensive guide to the literary traditions of Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria, five distinct countries bound by their experience with colonialism. Oyekan Owomoyela begins with an overview of the authors, texts, and historical events that have shaped the development of postwar Anglophone literatures in this region, exploring shifts in theme and the role of foreign sponsorship and illuminating recent debates regarding the language, identity, gender, and social commitments of various authors and their works. His introduction concludes with a bibliography of key critical texts.

The second half of the volume is an alphabetical tour of writers, publications, concepts, genres, movements, and institutions, with suggested readings for further research. Entries focus primarily on fiction but also touch on drama and poetry. Featured authors include Chris Abani, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Cyprian Ekwensi, Uzodinma Chukuka Iweala, Helen Oyeyemi, and Wole Soyinka. Topics range from the European origins of African literature and the West African diaspora to the development of an "African personality," the establishment of a regional publishing industry, and the global literary marketplace. Owomoyela also discusses such influences as the postwar emergence of Onitsha Market Literature, the Mbari Club, and the importance of the Noma Award.

Owomoyela's portrait points to the major impact of West African literature on the evolution of both African and world literatures in English. Sure to become the definitive text for research in the field, "The Columbia Guide to West African Literature inEnglish Since 1945" is a vital resource for newcomers as well as for advanced scholars seeking a deeper understanding of the region's rich literary heritage.

Origins are often obscure and beginnings easily forgotten. The first novel ever published by an African has, until now, been lost in rare book collections, unknown to scholars and public alike. Now reissued a century after its first publication, Joseph J. Walters's "Guanya Pau" can be reread in the context of a varied and vigorous African literature. Its subject and the author's outlook make it remarkably modern.
"Guanya Pau" deals with the desire of Guanya, an African princess, to escape a repulsive fate: betrothal to a wealthy man twenty years older than she. Worse, he is a polygamist, compensating for his own ugliness with the beauty of many wives. Guanya must combat his eagerness, her mother's wish, and a tribal tradition that is as entrenched as it is oppressive. When she cannot fight, she flees, encountering fierce anti-feminine practices everywhere she goes.

African literatures, says volume editor Oyekan Owomoyela, "testify to the great and continuing impact of the colonizing project on the African universe." African writers must struggle constantly to define for themselves and other just what "Africa" is and who they are in a continent constructed as a geographic and cultural entity largely by Europeans. This study reflects the legacy of colonialism by devoting nine of its thirteen chapters to literature in "Europhone" languages--English, French, and Portuguese. Foremost among the Anglophone writers discussed are Nigerians Amos Tutuola, Chinua Achebe, and Wole Soyinka. Writers from East Africa are also represented, as are those from South Africa. Contributors for this section include Jonathan A. Peters, Arlene A. Elder, John F. Povey, Thomas Knipp, and J. Ndukaku Amankulor. In African Francophone literature, we see both writers inspired by the French assimilationist system and those influenced by Negritude, the African-culture affirmation movement. Contributors here include Servanne Woodward, Edris Makward, and Alain Ricard. African literature in Portuguese, reflecting the nature of one of the most oppressive colonizing projects in Africa, is treated by Russell G. Hamilton. Robert Cancel discusses African-language literatures, while Oyekan Owomoyela treats the question of the language of African literatures. Carole Boyce Davies and Elaine Savory Fido focus on the special problems of African women writers, while Hans M. Zell deals with the broader issues of publishing--censorship, resources, and organization.

Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, won its independence from Great Britain in 1980 yet continues to feel the impact of Western lifestyles and prejudices. This rich, accessible overview freshly examines Zimbabwe, evoking the contemporary ways of life in a largely homogenous and agricultural country.

Students and general readers will discover an engaging narrative that ranges from an explanation of the beer culture to a powerful discussion of marriage, family, and gender roles from the Zimbabwean perspective. Owomoyela also authoritatively conveys the coexistence of traditional and Western forces today in such areas as religion and music. A chronology and glossary accompany the text.