You must set forth at dawn

The first African to receive the Nobel Prize in

Literature, as well as a political activist of prodigious

energies, Wole Soyinka now follows his modern classic

Ake: The Years of Childhood with an equally important

chronicle of his turbulent life as an adult in (and in exile

from) his beloved, beleaguered homel and.

In the tough, humane, and lyrical language that has typified

his plays and novels, Soyinka captures the indomitable

spirit of Nigeria itself by bringing to life the friends and

family who bolstered and inspired him, and by describing

the pioneering theater works that defied censure and

tradition. Soyinka not only recounts his exile and the terrible

reign of General Sani Abacha, but shares vivid memories

and playful anecdotes-including his improbable friendship

with a prominent Nigerian businessman and the time he

smuggled a frozen wildcat into America so that his

students could experience a proper Nigerian barbecue.

More than a major figure in the world of literature, Wole

Soyinka is a courageous voice for human rights,

democracy, and freedom. You Must Set Forth at Dawn is an

intimate chronicle of his thrilling public life, a meditation on

justice and tyranny, and a mesmerizing testament to a

ravaged yet hopeful land.