Amos Tutuola Turns 100 Today

Amos Tutuola (20 June 1920 – 8 June 1997) was a Nigerian writer who wrote books based in part on Yoruba folk-tales.

Early history
Amos Tutuola was born Olatubosun Odegbami in Wasinmi, a village just a few miles outside of Abeokuta, Nigeria, on June 20, 1920, where his parents Charles Tutuola Odegbami and Esther Aina Odegbami - who were Yoruba Christian cocoa farmers - lived. He was the youngest son of his father and his mother was his father's third wife. His grandfather the Odafin of Egbaland, Chief Odegbami (c. 1842-1936), patriarch of the Odegbami clan, was a chieftain of the Egba people and a traditional worshipper of the Yoruba religion. His title "Odafin" signified that he had an administrative position within the traditional administraton of the Egbaland, and was one of the Iwarefa of the Ogboni. When he was seven years old, in 1927, Amos became a servant for F. O. Monu, an Igbo man, who sent him to the Salvation Army primary school in lieu of wages. At age 12, he attended the Anglican Central School in Abeokuta. His brief education was limited to six years (from 1934 to 1939). After his grandfather's death in 1936, most members of the family decided to adopt the European style of naming and take his name, Odegbami, as their last name.

However, many members of the family, like Amos, decided to take their father's name, Tutuola. That is how his last name became Tutuola. When his father died in 1939, Tutuola left school to train as a blacksmith, the trade he practised from 1942 to 1945 for the Royal Air Force in Nigeria during WWII. He subsequently tried a number of other vocations, including selling bread and acting as messenger for the Nigerian Department of Labour. In 1946, Tutuola completed his first full-length book, The Palm-Wine Drinkard, within a few days. In 1947 he married Victoria Alake, with whom he had four sons and four daughters. However, he also married 3 other wives. He is the uncle of the Nigerian footballers Segun Odegbami and Wole Odegbami.

Writing
Despite his short formal education, Tutuola wrote his novels in English. In 1956, after he had written his first three books and become internationally famous, he joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in Ibadan, Western Nigeria as a storekeeper. Tutuola also became one of the founders of the Mbari Club, the writers' and publishers' organization. In 1979, he held a visiting research fellowship at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) at Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and in 1983 he was an associate of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. In retirement he divided his time between residences Ibadan and Ago-Odo.

Tutuola died at the age of 76 on 8 June 1997 from hypertension and diabetes.

Many of his papers, letters, and holographic manuscripts have been collected at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas, Austin.

Tutuola's works have been translated into 11 languages, including French, German, Russian, and Polish. Some translators, notably Raymond Queneau (French) and Ernestyna Skurjat (Polish), deliberately adjusted the grammar and syntax of the translations, to reflect the occasionally atypical language of Tutuola's original prose.

The Palm Wine Drinkard
Tutuola's most famous novel, The Palm-Wine Drinkard and his Dead Palm-Wine Tapster in the Deads' Town, was written in 1946, first published in 1952 in London by Faber and Faber, then translated and published in Paris as L'Ivrogne dans la brousse by Raymond Queneau in 1953. Poet Dylan Thomas brought it to wide attention, calling it "brief, thronged, grisly and bewitching".

Although the book was praised in England and the United States, it faced severe criticism in Tutuola's native Nigeria. Part of this criticism was due to his use of "broken English" and primitive style, which supposedly promoted the Western stereotype of "African backwardness".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_Tutuola

Is it safe to wish him Happy birthday

Happy birthday the typewriter..

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Can you imagine?

Although the book was praised in England and the United States, it faced severe criticism in Tutuola's native Nigeria. Part of this criticism was due to his use of "broken English" and primitive style, which supposedly promoted the Western stereotype of "African backwardness".

Happy Posthumous Birthday to him

Swears....


I am Proudly Yoruba Swagger...

Hmm, so he had just 6 years of education.

Amazing, considering how his books really became so popular.

Y

HBD

PatrickOkunima:
Y

Z

Rest in Peace

great men are gone.
this is one of those we should celebrate not the existing mediocre.

PALMY DRINKER !

The first Nigerian Novelist.

...Amos became a servant for F.O.Monu, an Igbo man, who sent him to Salvation Army Primary School in lieu of wages... .

This happened as early as 1927. Yet some people will think Igbos are their problem.

Baba Amos Tutuola. Rest on Legend!!

obyrich:
...Amos became a servant for F.O.Monu, an Igbo man, who sent him to Salvation Army Primary School in lieu of wages... .

This happened as early as 1927. Yet some people will think Igbos are their problem.

But even earlier than 1927, many Igbos fled the East to come work in the West as domestic servants for university educated Yorubas who were employed in the colonial service.

It also lends credence to the fact that Igbos like F.O Monu, have always fled the East to pursue economic prosperity in the West.

Could it be because all the infrastructure of Nigeria was located in the West as at 1927 as Igbos now claim is the reason for their migration, or because the West has always naturally been better positioned to excel?

The proud author of the first indigenous Nigeria novel.




His novel tittle The palm wine drinkard and his dead palm wine tapster in the deads town is still the funniest I have read.

Happy birthday in death

obyrich:
...Amos became a servant for F.O.Monu, an Igbo man, who sent him to Salvation Army Primary School in lieu of wages... .

This happened as early as 1927. Yet some people will think Igbos are their problem.

commot dia. My uncle picked an igbo boy who came to Ibadan from Anambra to hustle , trained him and gave him the opportunity of leaving the shores of nigeria for United states. When he got there, he no go school wey my uncle send am, com dey kpansh women wey need children dey collect money in return. He told me he had over 200 kids but couldn't claim them cos the agreement ended after conception and payment as agreed. I'm glad he's now a man of God. There are good people in yoruba and other tribes who would foster you without taking cognisance where you come from.

Nope never heard of him

Amos Tutuola… My aunt who study in the UK in 1998 told me his book was what their white professor use as a thesis study. Nigeria has a way of killing and underrating talents.

I read the Palmwine Drinkard back then in secondary school. I still don't know what to make of that story. It was
very funny and scary at the same time. It had very long sentences with not too good grammatical construction. In all it was very entertaining.

Happy 100th Posthumous birthday Sir!

Ehya

Marking a Century on earth is no child's play.
Takes The Special Grace of God.
And not everyone has the privilege.
Happy birthday Great Great Grand Pa.
May you live the remaning years of your life in peace and good health.

Rest in peace big man, bless up.

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Audio buyers please keep off.

Good morning and thank you for your time.

More blessing !

His first novel and it was a hit

One hundred years no be child play, rest on

Nice he deserves to be celeberated

Throwback:


But even earlier than 1927, many Igbos fled the East to come work in the West as domestic servants for university educated Yorubas who were employed in the colonial service.

It also lends credence to the fact that Igbos like F.O Monu, have always fled the East to pursue economic prosperity in the West.

Could it be because all the infrastructure of Nigeria was located in the West as at 1927 as Igbos now claim is the reason for their migration, or because the West has always naturally been better positioned to excel?

Same way Yoruba elites abroad fled the West to pursue economic prosperity in America and UK.

People migrate for different reasons. If not laziness, pray tell why a so-called economic refugee will be the one to train your children for you? Shameless bigot.

SonofHim:
I read the Palmwine Drinkard back then in secondary school. I still don't know what to make of that story. It was
very funny and scary at the same time. It had very long sentences with not too good grammatical construction. In all it was very entertaining.

Happy 100th Posthumous birthday Sir!

Can one get this book