The Ijaw people, otherwise known as the Ijo people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, with significant population clusters in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. They also occupy Edo, Ondo, and small parts of Akwa Ibom. Many are found as migrant fishermen in camps as far west as Sierra Leone and as far east as Gabon. They account for about 1.8% of the Nigerian population according to CIA Factbook. The Ijaws are one of the most populous tribes inhabiting the Niger Delta region and the eighth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.
Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth. As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes queen of Scotland. Some regard her as becoming more powerful than Macbeth when she does this, because she is able to manipulate him into doing what she wants. After Macbeth becomes a murderous tyrant, she is driven to madness by guilt over their crimes and kills herself offstage.
Nigerian literature may be roughly defined as the literary writing by citizens of the nation of Nigeria for Nigerian readers, addressing Nigerian issues. This encompasses writers in a number of languages, including not only English but Igbo, Urhobo, Yoruba, and in the northern part of the county Hausa and Nupe. More broadly, it includes British Nigerians, Nigerian Americans and other members of the African diaspora.
Xie Bao is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Twin-tailed Scorpion", he ranks 35th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits is a 2003 tactical role-playing video game developed by Cattle Call and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the sixth game released in the Arc the Lad series, and the first game in the series released for the PlayStation 2 and made in 3D. It originally released in Japan in March 2003, alongside a premium box set, later in June 2003 in North America, and later in January 2004 in Europe. The game was executively produced by Tekken creator, Seiichi Ishii, and received developmental support by certain members of Zener Works Inc, developers of Okage: Shadow King. It was followed up with a sequel in 2005, Arc the Lad: End of Darkness.
Spook's, published as The Last Apprentice in the United States, is a children's dark fantasy series by English author Joseph Delaney. It is published by imprints of Penguin Random House in the United Kingdom and HarperCollins in the United States. The series has been published in 30 countries, with sales exceeding 4.5 million copies. It started in 2004 with The Spook's Apprentice, which has been adapted into a play script, a feature film titled Seventh Son, and a French graphic novel.
Langrisser IV is a tactical role-playing game developed by Career Soft and released by Masaya Games for the Sega Saturn on August 1, 1997. It was later ported to the PlayStation on January 28, 1999. Langrisser IV is the sequel to Langrisser III, which has never been released outside Japan. There is a fan-translated English patch available for the PlayStation version.
Biyi Bandele was a Nigerian novelist, playwright and filmmaker. He was the author of several novels, beginning with The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond (1991), as well as writing stage plays, before turning his focus to filmmaking. His directorial debut was in 2013 with Half of a Yellow Sun, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
African-American folktales are the storytelling and oral history of enslaved African Americans during the 1700s-1900s. Prevalent themes in African-American folktales include tricksters, life lessons, heartwarming tales, and slavery. African Americans created folktales that spoke about the hardships of slavery and told stories of folk spirits that could outwit their slaveholders and defeat their enemies. These folk stories gave hope to enslaved people that folk spirits would liberate them from slavery. Folktales have been used to perpetuate negative stereotypes about the African American community. From Minstrel shows to academic journals. One of these heroes that they looked up to was the charming High John the Conqueror, who was a cunning trickster against his slave masters. He often empowered newly freed slaves, saying that if they needed him, his spirit would be in a local root. Other common figures in African-American folktales include Anansi, Brer Rabbit, and Uncle Monday. Many folktales are unique to African-American culture, while others are influenced by African, European, and Native American tales. Even today in Hip-Hop, we see the effects of African American Folklore. Tropes like Badman and Trickster have influenced the characteristics and themes seen in modern day hip hop like gangsters and pimps.
Trey Ellis is an American novelist, screenwriter, professor, playwright, and essayist. He was born in Washington D.C. and graduated from Hopkins School and Phillips Academy, Andover, where he studied under Alexander Theroux before attending Stanford University, where he was the editor of the Stanford Chaparral and wrote his first novel, Platitudes in a creative writing class taught by Gilbert Sorrentino. He is a professor of Professional Practice in the Graduate School of the Arts at Columbia University.
Purple Hibiscus is a novel written by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her debut novel, it was first published by Algonquin Books in October of 2003.
The Kwele people, or Bakwele, are a tribal group of eastern Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Cameroons in Central Africa. In terms of their language, they fall into the Bantu linguistic group. Their population consists of approximately 120,000 individuals. They fled the coastal area of West Africa during the 19th century after their traditional enemies acquired firearms from the slave traders. This altercation is often called the "Poupou" war. The Kwele then settled into lands between the Dja and Ivindo rivers. Their assumed five separate linguistic subgroups are identified by differences in where their community lies on a map, where they have migrated over time, political structure, performances implemented in rituals, and the community cohesion within each. When conflicts arise, their strategies to resolve these issues may be handled by intense individual competition. Important relations are impacted by the father's line of descent, due to past patrilineal and avuncular political decisions and relations.
Polish Haitians are Haitian people of Polish ancestry dating to the early 19th century; a few may be Poles of more recent native birth who have gained Haitian citizenship. Cazale, a small village in the hills about 30 kilometres (19 mi) away from Port-au-Prince, is considered the main center of population of the ethnic Polish community in Haiti, but there are other villages as well such as Les Cayes and St. Jean du Sud. Cazale has descendants of surviving members of Napoleon's Polish Legionnaires which were forced into combat by Napoleon but later joined the Haitian slaves during the Haitian Revolution. Some 400 to 500 of these Poles are believed to have settled in Haiti after the war. They were given special status as Noir and full citizenship under the Haitian constitution by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first ruler of an independent Haiti.
Victor Ehikhamenor is a Nigerian visual artist, writer, and photographer known for his expansive works that engage with multinational cultural heritage and postcolonial socioeconomics of contemporary black lives. In 2017, he was selected to represent Nigeria at the Venice Biennale, the first time Nigeria would be represented in the event. His work has been described as representing "a symbol of resistance" to colonialism.
Odafe Atogun is a Nigerian writer. His debut novel, Taduno's Song (2016), was selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club, and he has been compared to Franz Kafka and George Orwell in critical reviews. Following his two-book deal with Canongate, Penguin Random House and Arche Verlag, Atogun's second novel, Wake Me When I’m Gone, was published in 2017. His work has been translated into several languages.
"Girls at War" is a 1972 short story by Chinua Achebe. The narrative focuses on the essence of survival amidst the uncertainties of war. Through the protagonist, Reginald Nwankwo, the story unfolds the intricacies of determination, resilience, and the human spirit's quest for survival. Encountering a young woman Gladys, three times in different circumstances, Reginald's journey becomes a metaphor for life's unpredictable paths. In their initial encounter, he offers advice to Gladys, advocating for education and discouraging involvement in the militia, foreseeing the dangers it holds for women.
Alapata Apata, a satirical play by Wole Soyinka mocking Nigerian politics through the story of Alaba, a retired butcher. As Alaba adjusts to his newfound leisure, the play exposes the absurdities of power dynamics and political manipulation in Nigeria. With humor and wit, Soyinka critiques corruption and hypocrisy, offering a sharp commentary on governance while entertaining readers with its humorous portrayal of characters and situations.
The Beatification of the Area Boy, a play by Wole Soyinka, was first published in Great Britain in 1995 and later in Nigeria in 1999. The play explores the absurdities present in Nigerian society, particularly under military rule, and by extension, in any African nation where regressive systems remain unchallenged due to a lack of checks and balances.
Hadith al-Jnoud is a novel by Ayman Otoom, published in 2014. It describes the student demonstrations that occurred at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan during the mid-1980s, particularly amidst the month of Ramadan in May 1986. These protests resulted in numerous casualties, injuries, and arrests, leaving a lasting impact on the collective memory of those involved. The narrative reflects the poignant recollections of the protest leader and his comrades, many of whom are still alive today. They entrusted their firsthand accounts of pain and fear to Otoom, recognizing his capability to convey their story. The novel faced censorship by the Jordanian Publications Department upon the arrival of its second edition from a private publishing house in Beirut. Ayman Otoom, the author, faced legal proceedings due to the ban imposed on the novel.
Homecoming is a stage play written by Nigerian playwright Chetachi Igbokwe which premiered on 6 May 2021 at the New Arts Theatre, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The play was directed by Ugochukwu Victor Ugwu and produced by the Maestro Theatre. It explores themes of tragedy, familial bonds, loss, grief, memory, and the fear of separation.
