Niyi Osundare 
Author

Poems

Original

Übersetzung

INVOCATIONS OF THE WORD english

Translations: de

to poem

SOME DAYS english

Translations: de

to poem

BERLIN 1884/5 english

Translations: de

to poem

DEEP GREEN english

Translations: de

to poem

THE LEADER AND THE LED english

Translations: de

to poem

ALUPAYIDA* english

Translations: de

to poem

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE english

Translations: de

to poem

Niyi Osundare 
Author

photo © gezett.de
* 12.03.1947, Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria
lives in: New Orleans, USA + Ibadan, Nigeria

Niyi Osundare (born in Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria, in 1947) is an essayist, writer for the theatre, lecturer and one of Nigeria's most celebrated poet. He has published 18 volumes of poetry, several plays, essays, articles and criticism. Previously a professor at the English Institute of the University of Ibadan, he is currently Distinguished Professor of English at the University of New Orleans.

His poetry combines concepts and traditions of the Yoruba culture with Marxist approaches. He uses mythological concepts to underline his struggle against social injustice and inhumanity.
Niyi Osundare’s prizes include the 1991 Noma Award, the 1998 Fonlon-Nichols Award and the 2008 Tchicaya U Tam’si Award for African Poetry, one of Africa’s most prestigious poetry prizes. In 2014 he received the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award, Nigeria’s highest distinction for outstanding creative and intellectual achievement.

 photo © gezett.de
Publications
  • Songs from the Marketplace

    1983

  • Village Voices

    1984

  • The Eye of the Earth

    1986

  • Moonsongs

    1988

  • Waiting Laughters

    1990

  • Selected Poems

    1992

  • Midlife

    1993

  • Songs of the Season

    1999

  • Thread in the Loom: Essays on African Literature and Culture

    2002

  • The Word is an Egg

    2002

  • The State Visit

    play

    2002

  • Pages from the Book of the Sun: New and Selected Poems

    2002

  • The Emerging Perspectives on Niyi Osundare

    2003

  • Early Birds

    2004

  • Two Plays

    2005

  • Not My Business

    2005

  • Tender Moments:Love Poems

    2006

  • City Without People: The Katrina Poems

    2011

  • Random Blues

    2011

Awards
  • 1968 Western State of Nigeria Poetry Competition - First Prize

  • 1986 Overall Commonwealth Poetry Prize - Joint-Winner

  • 1986 Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize

  • 1991 Noma Award

  • 1991 Kwanza Award

  • 1994 Cadbury/ANA Poetry Prize

  • 1998 Fonlon-Nichols Award

  • 2004 The Spectrum Books Award for The Eye of the Earth

  • 2008 Tchicaya U Tam’si Award for African Poetry

  • 2014 Nigerian National Order of Merit Award