YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN

　　The first African to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, aswell as a political activist of prodigious energies, Wole Soyinkanow follows his modern classic Ake: The Years of Childhood with anequally important chronicle of his turbulent life as an adult in(and in exile from) his beloved, beleaguered homeland.　　In the tough, humane, and lyrical language that has typified hisplays and novels, Soyinka captures the indomitable spirit ofNigeria itself by bringing to life the friends and family whobolstered and inspired him, and by describing the pioneeringtheater works that defied censure and tradition. Soyinka not onlyrecounts his exile and the terrible reign of General Sani Abacha,but shares vivid memories and playful anecdotes–including hisimprobable friendship with a prominent Nigerian businessman and thetime he smuggled a frozen wildcat into America so that his studentscould experience a proper Nigerian barbecue.　　More than a major figure in the world of literature, Wole Soyinkais a courageous voice for human rights, democracy, and freedom. YouMust Set Forth at Dawn is an intimate chronicle of his thrillingpublic life, a meditation on justice and tyranny, and a mesmerizingtestament to a ravaged yet hopeful land.