The Tale of the Harmattan

Employing the persona of the homeboy minstrel who returns from distant travels to explore what modern civilization, politics, and technological development arising from oil exploration have done to his Niger Delta environment and people, this collection of poems center on the theme of change. From the plight of the present and fear of the future, the poems are underscored by nostalgia and longing for childhood. The poems bristle with images of nature: the land and rivers and water, as well as the fauna and flora with various symbolic connotations. By drawing attention to the present calamity that intertwines society, politics, and economic exploitation, the poet challenges readers to look for alternative ways to relate to the environment.

Tanure Ojaide is a professor of Africana Studies at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has been awarded the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for the Africa Region, the All-Africa Okigbo Prize for Poetry, the BBC Arts and Africa Poetry Award, and the Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Award.