Wednesday 12 September 2018

NAIWU OSAHON






To many readers, Naiwu Osahon, the long standing Nigerian writer, is synonymous with his early work, Sex is a Nigger. The latter novel during its heyday attained transcendental fame and notoriety - and even now, many decades after its initial publication, new generations of readers are enamoured with the work.

Yet Osahon is a proficient, versatile writer who has produced many other works over the years; even other novels like Climate of Darkness , which arguably was even more successful than Sex is a Nigger. In his works of fiction for adults, one deduces a vivacious streak, and a zany type of humour.

Actually, Naiwu Osahon might well be the most prolific writer in (black) African history.  He himself has stated that he has published at least 100 books (!), most of them for children. Now, over the age of 80, the great man still writes regularly.



Osahon is well known for his polemical writings and views, not only in his journalistic forays, but also in substantial published books of his; which include The Cradle: The ultimate Cosmology, and God is Black. the works might be somewhat controversial, but they also showcase his intellectual striations.

Osahon has of course garnered some flak for writing a work like Sex is a Nigger. As 
South African literary commentator, Raphael Mokoena notes:

‘In literary circles, some observers rather liked this work, whilst others panned it. The formidable Femi Osofisan, for example opined that this work is "cheaply melodramatic" and also "hysterically vulgar". He added that he saw this work as "arising from the low slums of artifice out of which no genuine perception can be reaped". I might as well state that I for one do not think the author had "high art" in mind when he wrote this book, anyway…’



Again, we must note the large corpus of Osahon's writings, which also includes the publication of plays, and poetry. His extraordinary work for children (copious books) have been translated into other languages, including German.

It is thus clear that Pa Osahon is not just a "pornographer" et al as some often claim, in ignorance. World literary history teems with great writers who were somewhat undermined by pundits intermittently - like DH Lawrence, RL Stevenson, Herman Melville  - but are now generally accepted as world class wordsmiths. I have no doubt in my mind that Naiwu Osahon has over the decades been a very important African writer.
 - O Bolaji       


SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Climate of Darkness

Sex is a Nigger

A Nation in Custody

Black Power: The African Predicament

The Colour of Anger

No Answer from the Oracle: Two plays Fires of Africa (poems etc)

Africa know Thyself

Ada and Hunchback Child

God is Black

Bulubulu and Bamboko

Our Widow's Mite

The Cradle: The Ultimate Cosmology

Giant Alakuku

Poems for Young Lovers