Festus Iyayi
Festus Iyayi (born September 29, 1947 in Benin City , Nigeria , † November 12, 2013 in Kogi , Nigeria) was a Nigerian writer.
Life
Festus Iyayi studied communication science in Ibadan and economics in Kiev . In the latter subject, he received his doctorate in 1980 from the University of Bradford . He returned to Benin City and taught at the university there. Because he was active in the union , he was fired in 1988 and imprisoned for a short time. In the same year he was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for his third novel, Heroes (1986) . Iyayi then concentrated primarily on his political work until a collection of short stories appeared in 1996. His work with the realistic description of the impoverished Nigerian society is comparable with the books by Ousmane Sembène and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o .
Iyayi died in November 2013 at the age of 66 in a car accident, possibly caused by a vehicle from a senior politician's convoy.
Works
- Violence (1979) Longman Publishing Group, ISBN 0-582-64247-7 .
- The Contract (1982) Longman Publishing Group, ISBN 0-582-78524-3 .
- Heroes (1986) Longman Publishing Group, ISBN 0-582-78603-7 .
- Awaiting Court Martial (1996) Malthouse Press, ISBN 978-2601-79-9 .
Awards (selection)
- 1987: Association of Nigerian Authors prize
- 1988: Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Iyayi, Festus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Nigerian writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 29, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Benin City , Nigeria |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 12, 2013 |
| Place of death | Kogi (state) |