Gabriel Okara s'impose comme l'une des figures littéraires les plus marquantes du Nigeria, célébré pour sa poésie évocatrice et ses romans captivants. Ses œuvres poétiques, largement diffusées à travers la prestigieuse revue africaine The Black Orpheus, ont profondément marqué les lecteurs. Au-delà de ses contributions littéraires, Okara a également fondé The Nigerian Tide, établissant ainsi une voix importante dans les médias. Son écriture a consolidé son héritage en tant que force pivot dans les paysages littéraires nigérian et africain.
Focusing on rural life in Rivers State, Nigeria, this adventure tale features two young protagonists on Juju Island who uncover the nefarious activities of Indian hemp smugglers. Their courageous decision to report the criminals leads to a dramatic confrontation with the law. Through their journey, the narrative imparts a moral lesson, highlighting themes of bravery and justice in the face of wrongdoing.
Arranged in six sections, Gabriel Okara: Collected Poems includes the poet's earliest lyric verse along with poems written in response to Nigeria's war years; literary tributes and elegies to fellow poets, activists, and loved ones long dead; and recent dramatic and narrative poems. The introduction by Brenda Marie Osbey contextualizes Okara's work in the history of Nigerian, African, and English language literatures