Nduka Otiono and Odoh Diego Okenyodo (eds)
“Every now and again, there appears an anthology of creative writing that does not gather together the canonical pieces already well known to the public, but boldy sets out to bring to visibility a body of writing that has not received the attention it deserves. Camouflage is one such anthology which by sheer range and diversity of the voices, styles, idioms, and themes it presents is certain to become a document of historic significance. By bringing these many voices into clamorous conversation in these pages, Otiono and Okenyodo also bring into focus the triumphs and travails of contemporary Nigerian writing at a moment of national crisis and soul searching. – Harry Garuba, Nelson Mandela Fellow, W.E.B. Dubois Centre, Harvard University
“Nigeria’s new writers, delicate and declamatory, intimate and political, immediate and global, imagine themselves into voice in this rich volume. The words are tender, agitated, beautiful, shapely–and breathed directly into the ear. Read this collection to grasp the scope and sophistication of contemporary Nigerian literature, yes, but read it firstly for its pleasures.” – Gabeba Baderoon, recipient, DaimlerChrysler AWard for South African Poetry 2005
“Creative writing has rarely been vibrant in Nigeria as it is just now, and Camouflage represents this writing in all its rich variety. Amongst the poetry, traditional elegies and eulogies stand side-by-side with bold spatial experiments. Lacerating broadsides of Nigeria’s commentaries on the state of the national soul…A story from Maiduguri is followed by a poem on the Liberian civil war and by a gripping and audacious play on the murder of Saro-Wiwa. Nigeria is the powerhouse of African literature and here, in Camouflage, is the evidence.” – Chris Dunton, Professor English, and Dean, Faculty of Humanities, The National University of Lesotho
“For heightening our creative stage and pace with such compelling rhythms, these remarkable talking drums–Otiono and Okenyodo, with the accompanying percussion of new Nigerian writers at home and abroad–not only deserve our resounding applause and gratitude for this rare gift to be heard beyond our time and borders but also a special lasting spot in the library of contemporary literature in the world.” – Osonye Tess Onwueme, Distinguished Professor of Cultural Diversity and Professor of English, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, USA
