The Interpreters

Wole Soyinka's debut novel, The Interpreters, follows a group of friends navigating political corruption and cultural uncertainty in post-independence Nigeria. It is a vividly realised fictional world rendered in prose that pivots easily from satire to tragedy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 06 June 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Nobel Prize-winner Wole Soyinka's debut novel, "The Interpreters," tells the story of a group of friends facing political corruption and cultural uncertainty in post-independence Nigeria. Egbo, Bandele, Sagoe, Sekoni, and Kola, who have returned to Lagos after studying abroad, navigate wild parties, affairs of the heart, philosophical debates, and professional dilemmas while struggling to reconcile the cultural traditions and Western influences that have shaped them and divide their country. Soyinka deftly weaves memories of the past through scenes of the present as the friends move toward an uncertain future, resulting in a vividly realized fictional world rendered in prose that pivots easily from satire to tragedy. No other writer has Soyinka's unique positioning in the political and cultural life of his nation. Ben Okri, The Guardian, and The Times have praised Soyinka's work for its elaborately, strikingly, and indeed often beautifully written nature.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 197 x 128 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781035906048