Zulu Sofola

Zulu Sofola (1935 - 1995) was the first published female Nigerian playwright and dramatist. [ [http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/literari/2005/dec/11/literari-11-12-2005-001.htm "Nigeria’s female writers have arrived", Sun newspaper (Nigeria), Dec 11, 2005] ]

Her parents were Igbo from Issele-Uku in Delta State. She studied at Virginia Union Baptist Seminary and The Catholic University of America and she obtained her PhD from University of Ibadan. Her plays often dealt with contemporary Nigerian life and Nigeria dealing with the West in a way deemed "accessible." She faced some criticism for being too Western influenced. [ [http://people.africadatabase.org/en/profile/16100.html Africa Database] ]

Works

Sofola's plays include:
* "The Disturbed Peace of Christmas" (1971)
* "Wedlock of the Gods" (1972)
* "King Emene" (1974), Heinemann ISBN 0435928600
* "The Wizard of Law" (1975), Evans Bros ISBN 0237499517
* "The Sweet Trap" (1977), Ibadan: Oxford University Press ISBN 019575386X
* "Old Wines Are Tasty" (1981), Ibadan University Press ISBN 9781544996

Further reading

* Gikandi, S. (2002) "Encyclopedia of African Literature". Routledge ISBN 0415230195 - p.502
* Gilbert, H. (1996) "Post-Colonial Drama: Theory, Practice, Politics". Routledge ISBN 0415090245 - p.183 (on Sofola's use of proverbs)
* Kolawole, M. E. M. (1999). "Zulu Sofola: her life & her works". Caltop Publications (Nigeria). ISBN 9783318799

References