presents a scheme of Cyprian Ekwensi's book reviews, folklore, essays, interviews, creative writing, milestones and scholarship on his works.

compiled by

Amanze Akpuda

Akpuda is a lecturer in the Department of English, Abia State University, Nigeria. He is the author of Celebrating God's Robot: Nigerian Poets and the Gani Fawehinmi Phenomenon, and has edited Reconstructing the Canon: Festschrift in Honour of Professor Charles E. Nnolim(2001), Currents In Early American Literature(2000), and The Black Presence In Caribbean Literature(2005).

read the companion essay here.

A Sample of

BOOK REVIEWS
African Affairs 51 (1952): 257 – 258
West African Review July 1952
West Africa12 Mar. 1955 p. 225
West Africa 17 Dec. 1955 p. 1189
West Africa 7 Jan. 1956 p. 9

FOLKLORE
“Fresh Palm Oil” West African Review Apr. 1950 p. 391
“Tortoise and the Old Woman” West African Review July
1950 p.824.
“Roast Ear” West African Review Mar. 1951 pp 247 – 248.
“Folk tales” West African Annual. 1954 pp 66 – 68.
Ikolo the Wrestler and Other Ibo Tales. London: Nelson, 1947.
An African Night’s Entertainment. Lagos: AUP, 1962.
The Great Elephant Bird. London: Nelson, 1965
The Boa Suitor. London: Nelson, 1966.

SELECTED ESSAYS
“African Literature” Nigeria Magazine 83 (Dec. 1964)
“Literary Influence on a Young Nigerian” The Times Literary Supplement 4 June 1964 pp 475 – 476.
“The Dilemma of the African Writer” West African Review July 1956.
“The Headline Novels of Africa” West Africa 2360 (28 Aug. 1962): 941.
“Problems of Nigerian Writers” Nigeria Magazine 78. (Sept. 1963): 217-219.
“Outlook for African Writers” West African Review Jan. 1950.
“Proverbs in Modern Life” West Africa 30 Jan 1954 p. 87.
“ Random Thoughts on Clocking Sixty-Five” The Essential Ekwensi Ed. Ernest Emenyonu Ibadan: Heniemann, 1987. 86-91.
“Theme in the African Novel” paper presented at a Conference organized by the American Society for African Culture at Cleveland, Ohio, USA in 1964.
10. “Trends in Modern Pharmacy” West Africa 14 June 1952 p.
543.
“Why Hadley Chase?: An Examination of Compulsive
Versus Compulsory Reading” Literature and Society:
Selected Essays on African Literature. Ed. Ernest N
Emenyonu. Oguta: Zim Pan African, 1986. 104 – 111.


(FEATURES)
“The Country of Upstairs” West African Review May 1958. 359, 361.
“ Opobo: A Townful of Deckin” West African Review
Dec. 1958. 1111,1113,1115.
“What Mr. Ekwensi Thinks about Himself” African Horizon 3 (Apr – June 1961): 30
“Three Weeks Among the Fulani” Nigeria Magazine 66
(Oct 1960): 124 – 133.

EKWENSI MILESTONES
1941. Broadcast of short story “The half Baked Doctor” on British Broadcasting
Corporation

March, 1945 Publication in Wide World Magazine of
“The Corner House” considered to be his first published (Post – Secondary School) short story.

1947 Commissioned by the Public Relations Department to
write and present on weekly basis a short story on Radio Nigeria. Publication of first book Ikolo the Wrestler and other lbo Tales.

1949 Presenter / Reader on “West African Voices”, a BBC
programme meant “to encourage the African creative writer to produce original work”.

1951 Part-time features writer for the Nigerian Broadcasting
Service.
1954 Had his voice on the sound track of the film Man of Africa premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

1954 Published first major novel People of the City in
London.
1956 One of the Commentators on the film Nigeria Greets the Queen.
1958 – 1961. Head of Features, Nigerian Broadcasting
Corporation.
1960 Commissioned to script a film to mark Nigeria’s
independence.

Oct 1960 Commentator at the independence ceremony
and at the installation of Nnamdi Azikiwe as Nigeria’s first President.

1961 – 1967 Director of Information Services.

1962 Founder and founding President, Society of
Nigerian Authors.

1975-1979 Managing Director, Star Printing and
Publishing Company, owners of Daily Star Newspapers.
1983 Commissioner for information, Anambra State under
Chief C.C. Onoh’s Oct-Dec. 31, 1983 regime.
May, 2004 Co-winner with the late Amos Tutuola of the
Nigeria Book Fair Trust Lifetime Achievement Award.

INTERVIEWS AND INTERVIEW STORIES

Duerden, Dennis. “Cyprian Ekwensi” African Writers Talking: A Collection of Interviews. Ed. Dennis Duerden and Cosmo Pieterse. London: Heinemann, 1978 rpt. 1st Pub. 1972. 80-83.

“Entretien Avec I Ecrivain Nigerien Cyprian Ekwensi”
Afrique 24 (May 1963): 48 – 51.

Nkosi, Lewis. “Cyprian Ekwensi” Duerden and Pieterse 77-80.
“Ekwensi Speaks on Mankind”Sunday Observer Aug. 15, 1971.

Lindfors, Bernth. “Interview with Cyprian Ekwensi” World
Literature Written in English 13 (1974): 141 –154.
rpt in Dem – Say: Interviews with Eight Nigerian Writers Ed. Bernth Lindfors. Austin, Texas: AASRC, 1974. 24 – 34.
rpt in Africa Talks Back: Interviews with Anglophone Writers. pp 113-127

Nichols, Lee Ed. Conversation with African writers
Washington D.C.: Voice of America, 1981.
Granquist, Raoul.. “Interview with Cyprian Ekwensi” Kunapip 4.1. (1981)

SHORT STORIES
“The Corner House” Wide World Magazine Mar. 1945 pp 335-
337.
“Breach of Contract” ” Wide World Magazine Feb. 1946. 265 -
268.
“African Alchemist “Wide World Magazine June 1946 pp 164 –
168.
“Big Massa” Wide World Magazine 1946 p.58.
“The Rainmaker” Wide World Magazine 1946. 667, 669.
“The Notebook” Wide World Magazine 1946 p. 775.
“Sharro” 1st pub in West African Review 1946 pp 295,297,299
Broadcast on BBC calling West Africa Nov. 30, 1949.
“ Questions and Answers” Wide World Magazine Dec. 1946. –
165.
“The Prisoner “West African Review June 1947 717.
“Banana Peel” African New Writing: Short Stories by
African Authors Ed. T. Cullen Young. London:
Lutterworth, 1947. 11 – 20
“Deserters’ Dupe” Young 84 – 88 rpt in Rainbow – Tinted Scarf and Other Stories (London: Evans, 1979)
“Land of Sani” Young 70 – 77 rpt in Rainbow
“The Cup was Full” Young 78 – 83 rpt in Rainbow
“The Tinted Scarf” Young 21 – 27 rpt in Rainbow
“The Truant” West African Review Dec. 1941 pp 1455
“Night Lodging” West African Review June 1946. pp 677, 679.
“The Case of the Howling Monkey” West African Review
Dec. 1948. pp 1452, 1455, 1457, 1459.
“A Question of Time” West African Review May 1950. 531,533.
“Loco Town” West African Review June 1950 pp 735, 737,
739, 741. rpt according to Bernth Lindfors “in Lokotown and other Stories with the title “Under the Almond Tree” pp 70 –78.
“Jungle King” West African Review Oct 1950. 1207,
1209,1211.
“ Death on the Bus” West African Review Mar. 1951
“No Turkey for Christmas” West African Review Dec. 1952.
pp 1349 – 1351.
“No Wedding Drums” West African Annual 1954. pp 42 – 43
rev/rpt West African Review July 1961 pp 55 – 56.
“Men of Goodwill” West African Review Dec. 1954 pp 1244,
1247, 1249.
“Nana – Jagua Nana” West African Review Aug.1957. pp 791,
793, 795, 799, 795,
Ritual Murder” Darkness and Light: An Anthology of African Writing. Ed Peggy Rutherford. London: Faith, 1958. 126 – 134.
“Law of the Grazing Fields” An African Treasury Ed. Langston Hughes. New York: Crown, 1960. 157 – 161.
“Minus Everything” Okike 1. (April 1971).

COLLECTIONS OF SHORT STORIES
The Rainmaker and other Stories. Lagos: AUP. 1966.
Lokotown and other Stories. London: Heinemann, 1965.
The Rainbow – Tinted Scarf and other Stories. London: Heinemann, 1979.
Restless City and Christmas Gold. Ibadan: Evans,1975.

MAJOR NOVELS
People of the City. London: Dakers, 1954.
Jagua Nana. London: Hutchinson, 1961.
Burning Grass London: Heinemann, 1962.
Beautiful Feathers. London: Hutchinson, 1963.
Iska. London: Hutchinson, 1966.
Survive the Peace London: Heinemann 1976.
Divided We Stand. Enugu: Fourth Dimension, 1980.
Jagua Nana’s Daughter Ibadan: Spectrum, 1986.
For a Roll of Parchment Ibadan: Heinemann, 1986.
Behind the Convent 1987.
Gone to Mecca (1991).

SHORT NOVELS/ JUVENALIA
The Leopard’s Claw. London: Longman, 1950.
When Love Whispers. Onitsha: Tabansi, 1948.
The Drummer Boy. Cambridge: Cambridge UP 1960.
The Passport of Mallam Ilia. Cambridge: Cambridge UP 1960.
Yaba Roundabout Murder. Lagos: Tortoise Series Books, 1962.
Trouble in Form Six. Cambridge: Cambridge UP 1966.
Juju Rock. Lagos: AUP, 1966.
Coal Camp Boy. Ikeja: Longman, 1973.
Samankwe in the Strange Forest. Ikeja: Longman, 1975.
Samankwe and the Highway Robbers. London: Evans, 1979.
Motherless Baby. Enugu: Fourth Dimension, 1980.
Masquerade Time Ibadan: Heinemann, 1992.
King Forever Ibadan: Heinemann, 1992.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST
Abrahams, Peter “A Literary Pioneer” West Africa Oct. 16.
1954.
Achebe, Chinua. “Presidential Address 1985” ANA Review 2 (1986): 1-2.
Achebe, Chinua. “Where Angels Fear to Tread” Nigeria
Magazine 74 (Dec 1962).
Akwanya, A.N. and Virgy A. Anohu 50 Years of the
Nigerian Novel (1952-2001) Nsukka: Fulladu, 2001.
Amuta, Chidi. “ Literature of the Nigerian Civil War” Perspectives on Nigerian Literature: 1700 to the Present Volume one. Ed Yemi Ogunbiyi. Lagos: Guardian, 1988. 85-92.
Anyaegbunam, Ngozi. “Feminist Tendency in Ekwensi’s Jagua
Nana’s Daughter” The Essential Ekwensi Ed. Ernest N. Emenyonu. Ibadan: Heinemann, 1987. 73 – 79.
Ashimole, Elizabeth O. “Beyond Ekwensi: Trends in Nigeria
Children’s Literature Current Trends in Literature and Language Studies in West Africa Eds Ernest N.
Emenyonu and Charles E. Nnolim. Ibadan: Kraft ,1994.
91-100.
Banham, Martin. “The Beginnings of a Nigerian Literature in
English”. Review of English Literature 3.2 (1962):
88 – 99.
Beier, Ulli. “Nigerian Literature” Nigeria Magazine 66
(1960): 212 – 228.
Chinweizu, Onwuchekwa Jemie and Ihechukwu Madubuike Toward the Decolonization of African Literature. Enugu: Fourth Dimension, 1980.
Chukukere, Gloria “Cyprian Ekwensi: A Socially Conditioned
Perception” Gender Voices and Choices: Redefining Women in Contemporary African Fiction. By Gloria
Chukukere. Enugu: Fourth Dimension, 1995. 41 – 78.
Chukukere, B.I. “African Novelists and Social Change”
Phylon 26 (Fall 1965).
Chukwuma, Helen. “Two Decades of the Short Story in West
Africa” WAACLALS Journal First Series, I (1989): 1-14
Chukwuma, Helen. “Morality in Cyprian Ekwensis Urban –
based Fiction” Emenyonu 66 – 72.
Chukwuma, Helen. Accents in the Africa Novel. Enugu:
New Generation, 1991.
Cook, David. ”A Good Bad Heroine. ‘A Study of Cyprian
Ekwensi’s Jagua Nana’ African Literature: A Critical View. London: Longman, 1977. 144 – 157.
Dathorne, O.R “Cyprian Ekwensi: The Popular Novelist”
African Literature in the Twentieth Century
London: Heinemann, 1982. 1st pub in Heinemann
abridged version 1976. 79 – 87.
Echeruo, Michael J. “The Fiction of Cyprian Ekwensi” Nigeria
Magazine 75 (Dec 1962): 63 –66.
Edwards, Paul. Letter Transition 3 (Jan – Feb 1964): 9
Eghagha, Hope. “A Portrait of the Jagua Woman: A Reading of Cyprian Ekwensi’s Jagua Nana” paper presented at a University of Lagos symposium in Honour of Cyprian Ekwensi at 85. September, 2006.
Emenyonu, Ernest. Cyprian Ekwensi London: Evans, 1974.
Emenyonu Ernest . The Rise of the Igbo Novel. Ibadan:
Oxford UP, 1978.
Emenyonu, Ernest N “The Man, Cyprian Ekwensi” The
Essential Ekwensi Ed. Ernest N Emenyonu. Ibadan: Heinemann, 1987. 1 – 8.
Emenyonu, Ernest “Cyprian Ekwensi “ Perspectives on Nigerian
Literature: 1700 to the Present Ed. Yemi Ogunyemi Lagos: Guardian, 1988. 20 – 29.
Emenyonu, Ernest. Studies on the Nigerian Novel.Ibadan:
Heinemann, 1991.
Essien, Ezekiel James. “The Dilemma of the New African in the
Fiction of Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi and Margaret Lawrence” Unpublished M.A.Thesis. Dalhousie University, 1969.
Ezeigbo, Akachi. “Contemporaneity and Timelessness: Politics and
War in Cyprian Ekwensi’s Divided We Stand and Survive the Peace” paper presented at a University of Lagos Symposium in Honour of Cyprian Ekwensi at 85 Sept, 2006.
Ezeigbo, Akachi. “Cyprian Ekwensi’s Survive the Peace as a Critique
of War and Patriarchy” Beyond the Marginal Land: Gender perspective in African Writing Ed. Chioma Opara. Port Harcourt: Belpot, 1999. 135 – 151.

Ezeigbo, Akachi. “Social Criticism in Selected Works of Cyprian
Ekwensi and Ayi Kwei Armah” unpublished M.A.Dissertation submitted to the Dept of English, University of Lagos, 1981.
Ezeigbo, Akachi. Fact and Fiction in the Literature of the Nigerian
Civil War. Lagos: Unity, 1991.
Ferguson, John. “Nigerian Prose Literature in English”
English Studies In Africa (Mar.1966)
Feuser, W.F. rev. of Cyprian Ekwensi’s “Lokotown and
Other Stories.” L’Afrique Actuelle 22 (Nov 1967): 48-
Feuser, Willfried “Anomy and Beyond: Nigeria’s Civil War in Literature” Culture et Development xvi. 3 – 4 (1984): 783 – 820.
Feuser, Willfried “Moderne Erzahler der Welt: Nigeria ed Cyprian
Ekwensi and Albert Von Haller. Tubingen and Rasel: Harst Erdmann verlag, 1973, 350” African Literature Today 9 (1979): 93 – 94.
Grandsaigne, J. de. “A Narrative Grammar of Cyprian
Ekwensi’s Short Stories” Research in African Literatures 16 (Winter 1985): 541-555.
Hawkins, Loretta. “The Free Spirit of Ekwensi’s Jagua Nana”
African Literature Today 10(1979): 202 – 205.
Hayder Frank (also W.F.Feuser) “Who’s Who in the Nigerian
Crisis” L’ Afrique Actuelle 28 (May 1968): 40 – 43.
Horton, Robin. “Three Nigerian Novelists” Nigeria
Magazine 70 (1961): 218 – 224.
Ibitokun, B.N. “Prostitution or Neurosis: A Note on Cyprian
Ekwensi’s Jagua Nana” Nsukka Studies in African Literature 3 (Oct. 1980): 81-87.
Iheakaram, Paul. “Value Perception in People of the City”
Emenyonu 66 – 72.
Iloeje, Azubike. “Taming the Wraith: Securing and Controlling
in the Drummer Boy” Emenyonu 29 – 38.
Iyasere, Solomon Ogbede. “African Critics on African Literature: A Study in Misplaced Hostility” African Literature Today 7 (1975): 20-27.
July, Robert W. “African Literature and the African Personality”
Black Orpheus 14 (1964): 33 – 45.
Larson, Charles. The Emergence of African Fiction.
London: Macmillan, 1978.
Lindfors, Bernth. “The Blind Men and the Elephant” African
Literature Today 7 (1975): 53-64.
Lindfors, Bernth “Cyprian Ekwensi: An African Popular
Novelist.” African Literature Today 3 (1969):
rpt in Bernth Lindfors Folklore in Nigerian Literature Ibadan: Caltop, 2002 116 – 129.
Lindfors, Bernth. “Nigerian Novels of 1966” Africa Today
14.5 (1967): 27-31.
Lindfors, Bernth. “Cyprian Ekwensi’s An African Popular
Novelist” African Literature today 3 (1969): 2 – 14
Lindfors, Bernth. “ C.O.D. Ekwensi’s First Stories” Early
Nigerian Literature Ibadan: Caltop, 2002. 1st pub 1982. 35 66.
Little, Kenneth. The Sociology of Urban Women’s Image in African Literature London: Macmillan 1980
Mackay, Mercedes. “People of the City “Venture 6.10. (Feb
1955).
McDowell, Robert E. “Three Nigerian Storytellers: Okara,
Tutuola and Ekwensi”. Ball State University Forum
10.3 (1969): 67 – 75.
Mcluckie, Craig. Nigerian Civil War Literature Lewistone Edwin
M.P, 1990.
Moore, Gerald. “English Words, African Lives” Presence
Africaine 54(1965):
Mphahlele, Ezekiel. The African Image. New York:
Praeger, 1974, 1st pub 1962. London: Faber and Faber
Murby, Leslie. “West African writers II” BBC broadcast, Calling
West Africa Nov 18,1947.
Nazareth, Peter. “Survive the Peace: Cyprian Ekwensi as a
Political Novelist “ Marxism and African Literature. Ed George M. Gugelberger London: James Currey, 1985..
Nganga, Bernard. “Cyprian Ekwensi, Romancer de la villa”
West African Journal of Modern Languages
(1976).
Nkosi, Lewis. “African Literature: Part a –English speaking
West African” African Report vii.ii (Dec 1962): 15 –
31.
Nnolim, Charles. rev, of Ernest Emenyonu’s Cyprian Ekwensi
African Literature Today 9 (1978): 108 – 113.
Nnolim, Charles “Cyprian Ekwensi: His Comic Vision
Emenyonu 80 – 85.
Nwachukwu, Macphillips. “Cyprian Ekwensi: A Writer forgotten by
his tribe?” ANA Review Nov 2006. 39.
Nwahunanya, Chinyere. “The Aesthetics of Nigerian War fiction”
Modern Fiction Studies 37.3 (Autumn 1991): 427 –443.
Nwahunanya, Chinyere. “ Biafran Voices in the Nigerian War
Novel” A Harvest from Tragedy: Critical Perspectives on Nigerian Civil War Literature. Ed. Chinyere Nwahunanya. Owerri: Springfield, 1997. 111 – 140.

Nwamuo, Chris. “Multicultural Education in Cyprian Ekwensi’s
An African Night’s Entertainment” Emenyonu 39 – 45.
O’Flinn, J.P. “Towards a Sociology of the Nigerian Novel” African Literature Today 7 (1975): 34-52.
Obiechina, Emmanuel. “Ekwensi as Novelist” Emenyonu 9 –
19
Obiechina, Emmanuel. Culture, Tradition and Society in
the West African Novel Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1975.
Obiechina, Emmanuel, “Politics in the Early African Novel”
Language and Theme: Essays on African Literature Washington D.C. Howard up, 1990 93 – 120.
Ohaeto, Ezenwa “Ernest Emenyonu” Winging Words:
Interviews with Nigerian Writers and Critics Ibadan: Kraft, 2003. 111 – 119.
Okonkwo, Juliet I, “Ekwensi and the Something New and
Unstable in Modern Nigerian Culture” Literature and Modern West African Culture Ed. D.I. Nwoga. Benin:
Ethiope, 1978. 130-145.
Okonkwo, Juliet I. “Biafran war Novels – A review “
Nsukka Studies in African Literature 4 (Jan 1986): 161 – 179.
Okonkwo, Juliet I. “.Cyprian Ekwensi: Nigeria’s Master
Popular Novelist” Emenyonu. 20-28
Okonkwo, Juliet I. rev of survive the peace Okike 13
(Jan 1979).
Okafor, Clement Abiaziem. “Carl Jung and Cyprian Ekwensi:
The Archetypes in Jagua Nana” Emenyonu 61 – 65.
Osofisan, Femi. “Domestication of an Opiate: Western
Paraesthetics and the Growth of the Ekwensi Tradition” Positive Review 1.4 (1981): 1-12.
Passmore, Dennis. “Camp Style in the Novels of Cyprian
Ekwensi” Journal of Popular Culture IV (1971).
Palmer, Eustace “Cyprian Ekwensi” The Growth of the
African Novel. London Heinemann, 1979.
Povey, John. “Cyprian Ekwensi. The Novelist and Pressure of
the City” Critical Evaluation of African Literature
Ed. Edgar Wright. London: Heinemann, 1973. 73-94.
Povey, John. “Cyprian Ekwensi and Beautiful Feathers”
CritiqueVIII.1. (Autumn 1965).
Pryse, B. Elizabeth. “Getting into Perspective” Nigeria
Magazine 74 (Sept. 1962): 84.
Richard, Rene “No Longer at Ease (C.Achebe) et People of
the City (C. Ekwensi)” Annales de l’ Universite d’
Abidjan 3D (1970): 47 – 48.
Richard, Rene “A Man of the People (C. Achebe) et Iska
(C. Ekwensi)” Annales de l’ Universite d’Abidjan 30 (1970): 67 – 68.
Roscoe, Adrian Mother is Gold: A Study of West
African Literature Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1971.
S.C. ”Savannah Cowboys” African Horizon 2 (Jan 1961):
Schmidt, Nancy. Letter to Bernth Lindfors 30 July, 1968.
Sesay, Kadiatu. “Ekwensi and Okpewho on the Nigerian Civil
War” African literature Today 9 (1978): 99-103.
Shelton, Austin S. “The articulation of traditional and modern in
Igbo Literature Conch 1.1.(Mar. 1969):
Shelton, Austin J. “Rebushing or Ontological Recession to
Africanism: Jagua’s Return to the Village” Presence
Africaine 46 (1963): 49-50.
- - -“The Cyclic Principle of African Personality”
Presence Africaine 45 (1963): 145-150.
Skinner, Neil, “From Hausa to English: A Study in
Paraphrase” Critical Perspectives on Nigerian
Literatures Ed. Bernth Lindfors. London: Heinemann,
1979. 143 – 153.
Swados, Harvey. “Chinua Achebe and the Writers of Biafra”
Sarah Lawrence Journal (Spring 1970): 55 – 62.
rpt in New Letters 40.1 (1973): 5 – 13.
Tucker, Martin. “The Headline Novels of Africa” West Africa
2356 (28 July 1962):829.
Tucker, Martin. “Three West African Novelists” Africa
Today 12.9 (1965): 10-14.
Tucker, Martin. Africa in Modern Literature New York:
Ungar, 1967.
Ugah, Ada. “A Reader’s Diary of Cyprian Ekwensi’s Civil War
Novels” Emenyonu 52 – 60.
Zell, Hans and Helene Silver. “Cyprian Ekwensi (1921-) “ A
Reader’s Guide to African Literature. Eds Hans Zell and Helen Silver. London: Heinemann, 1972 142 – 144.