One of
Africa's greatest ever writers, John Pepper Clark (JP Clark) is dead. He was a
contemporary of Wole Soyinka, Africa's first Nobel Laureate in Literature -
they studied at the University of Ibadan together; and were both great
dramatists and poets.
Clark was regarded as one of Africa's early pre-eminent writers alongside the likes of Achebe, Soyinka, Ngugi, Es'kia Mphahlele, Denis Brutus, Kofi Awoonor, Ekwensi, Camara Laye, Flora Nwapa, Senghor, Amos Tutuola, Peter Abrahams. Clark wrote many important books mainly in the 60s and 70s.
His poetry was superb, collected in a number of books, anthologies and journals. Many focused on the traumatic ripples of the Nigerian civil war; hundreds of thousands of students studied his poetry in schools and colleges.
Clark's dramatic works were also celebrated, including the early Song of a Goat, and Ozidi - the latter considered a profound autochthonous literary classic.
Chief Seye Bolaji, a versatile, prolific African writer, reminisces: "I remember a superb production of the play in Nigeria decades ago where my own senior brother, the late Barrister Omotayo Bolaji, starred as intriguing protagonist, Ozidi! How proud I was of my brother for years on end, marvelling at how he could commit to memory the countless esoteric polished verses and aphorisms of such an elevated play."
Clark's prose was also world class and polemical; his work, America their America, regarded as seminal and brilliant by the literary world. Clark was one of the elite writers who gleefully welcomed Soyinka back home after he won the Nobel Award for Literature.
Clark was 85 when he
died this week. Immediately after his demise was announced, Nigerian President,
Mr Buhari, led the glowing tributes to the world class bard.
R.I.P, great great Bard
ReplyDeleteWhat a loss! Rest in peace grand old man of letters
ReplyDeleteWhat a loss! I remeber reading many parts of Clark's America, book. Quite caustic and ironic. But like his poetry the man writes very well
ReplyDeleteOZIDI the play... What an awesome work!! Masterpiece, really.
ReplyDeleteThe Great John Pepper Clark - Bekederemo has played his role in the growth of literature with merit. He is among the prominent writers in the whole world, and his work has been celebrated in all corners of the world, in literature spectrum.
ReplyDeleteWe will continue to celebrate his work and life though he has rested today and met fellow great writers that in rest too. May his soul rest well and speak through his work.
I once read a magnificent book comprising interviews with early outstanding African writers, titled AFRICAN WRITERS TALKING. J.P Clark was one of those interviewed in the work, a young, very confident voice. I remember I was surprised to learn there that he had also been a journalist. Poet, playwright, journalist, essayist. R.I.P
ReplyDeleteHis legacy would endure for as long as there is Afican literature. R.I.P
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr Ozogula. I read that book too (African Writers Talking). Treasure trove eh
ReplyDeleteA great Man and Voice, and of course PEN departs this world. R.I.P
ReplyDelete