Wole Soyinka’s new novel launching across Nigeria

WOLE Soyinka’s new novel, Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth, is currently making its way across Nigeria.

Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth is the third novel from Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and his first since 1972. The book, published by Pantheon at Penguin Random House in the US, is set in a contemporary version of Nigeria described as “at once a savagely witty whodunit and a corrosively satirical examination of corruption, both personal and political”.

The synopsis explains: “Celebrated engineer, Yoruba royal and life and soul of every party, Duyole Pitan-Payne is about to assume his prestigious UN post in New York—only someone is determined that he not make it there. His childhood friend Dr Menka needs to know why, but finds that there are some questions you may not wish to learn the answers to. From a master storyteller comes a brutally clear-sighted look at the nature of greed, power, and the soul of a nation.”

Nigerian readers have been getting a chance to read the book in the last few days courtesy of Bookcraft Africa, the local distributors. The first of these events was hosted in Lagos on December 7 followed by an event in Ibadan on December 9.

Here are images from the launches used with the permission of our friends at Bookcraft Africa.

Terra Kulture, Lagos – December 7

The Booksellers, Ibadan – December 9