When People of the City was first published in 1954, it was immediately acclaimed as the first major novel in English by a West African to be widely read throughout the English-speaking world. Despite the added reputation, Ekwensi achieved with his later novels, People of the City, remains a work of great significance in the development of contemporary African writing. It tells the story of a young crime reporter who doubles as a dance bandleader in a large West African city—and eventually realizes that what he can do for the developing country he lives in is more important than the varied personal pleasures he can find in the hectic city life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CYPRIAN EKWENSI is one of Africa’s master storytellers. He was born in Minna in Northern Nigeria in 1921 and educated in Ibadan, Ghana, and London. He taught Biology and Chemistry in Nigeria before joining the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation where he became Head of Features. He then became Director of Information in the Ministry of Information in Enugu and, later he was the Managing Director of The Star newspaper group. He has published several novels and books of stories. The following are among his well-known works: Burning Grass, People of the City, Lokotown, Beautiful Feathers, Jagua Nana and Christmas Gold. His Biafran war novel, Survive the Peace, was a story set in Nigeria after the civil war. His books have been translated into many languages.

CATEGORY
Fiction/AFRICA