Achebe or Soyinka? A Re-Interpretation and a Study in Contrasts

Born in Akure, Nigeria, Kole Omotoso is one of the most visible and prolific of Africa's new generation of radical writers. His publications include two novels, The Combat (1972), which uses the Nigerian civil war as a backdrop, and The Edifice (1971), which concerns the marriage of an African student and an English woman, and a piece on recent Nigerian history, Just Before Dawn, which attracted much public attention because of threats of civil action against him for misrepresentations of the roles of some of the people in the account.

Described by critics as a revolutionary writer, Omotoso is concerned with the political and social problems facing contemporary Africa. He therefore strives to write for the masses, using a simple and direct style. Many of his characters are contrived and predictable.

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