 | |
| Author | Cyprian Ekwensi |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Published | 1963 |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Publication place | Nigeria |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| ISBN | 9780435900052 |
People of the City is the debut novel of Cyprian Ekwensi first published in 1954 by Andrew Dakers Ltd. The novel was a predecessor to a number of other city novels in the Nigerian tradition. [1]
Ekwensi began writing the novel while studying pharmacy on scholarship at the University of London. [2] The novel, originated as a series of stories broadcast on the radio, for West Africans living in Britain after World War II. [3]
Critic Chidi Okonkwo, says that the primary influences for Ekwenksi when developing the novel and his writing style, included "Westerns, detective thrillers, oriental tales like Arabian Nights", "European-hero-in-Africa" tales, like those of H. Rider Haggard, adventure tales like Robert Louis Stevenson's, and Indian films." [3] Okonkwo describes these influences as obscuring Ekwensi's earlier experience translating African indigenous stories into English. [3]
The novel challenges European colonial dominance in Africa. [3]
Early reception of the novel was generally positive, focusing on the urban setting. [3]
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