Author: Amos Tutuola
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Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty
This is the story of Ajaiyi, a man born into poverty who is determined to improve his situation. In the hope of finding the money he needs, he travels through unfamiliar lands filled with strange creatures. He meets the Spirit of Fire with its huge feathered head and flaming body, and receives assistance from a…
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Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer
Drawing on the Yoruba folk tradition, Amos Tutuola’s tales combine the resonance of universal myth with reflections on a range of human vagaries. The leading characters of Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer are all forced to embark on journeys of no return, leading to incidents and adventures in classic Tutuola style. There is a ploughing competition…
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Simbi and the Satyr of the Dark Jungle
The heroine of Simbi & the Satyr of the Dark Jungle is the only daughter of a wealthy woman, the most beautiful girl in her village and a wonderful singer. Disenchanted with her privileged existence and her mother’s wealth, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to know and experience Poverty and Punishment. She…
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The Brave African Huntress
After 18-year-old Adebisi inherits her father’s hunting profession, she searches for her four brothers who vanished in the Jungle of the Pygmies before she was born.
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The Palm-Wine Drinkard
Drawing on West African (Nigeria) Yoruba folktale tradition, Tutuola described the odyssey of a devoted palm-wine drinker through a nightmare of fantastic adventure.
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The Village Witch Doctor and Other Stories
Collects both original stories and retellings of traditional folktales of one of Africa’s greatest writers, drawing heavily on the Yoruba folk tradition of Nigeria
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The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town
Because they have had no children after four years of marriage, a brave African hunter leaves his wife in search of the Witch-Mother, who can provide a cure for infertility