Books

First edition, first impression, inscribed by the author on the front pastedown, "To André, best wishes to your new venture in Nigeria from Cyprian. Lagos 9th April 1962". Inscribed copies of Jagua Nana, his most successful novel, are rare. The Nigerian author, Cyprian Ekwensi (1921-2007), wrote hundreds of short stories, radio and television scripts, and several dozen novels, including children's books. Having attended college in Ghana and studied pharmacy in London, he worked as a forestry officer, pharmacist, teacher, and as Head of Features at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) until the mid-1960s. In 1968, he received the Dag Hammarskjöld International Prize in Literature, was made an MFR in 2001, and in 2006, he became a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. Octavo. Original red boards, spine lettered in black and yellow, line-drawing illustration of an African mask blocked in black to front board. With dust jacket. Spine gently rolled, small bump to the front board, a very nice copy, clean and bright, in the dust jacket, unclipped, spine a little faded, ends creased and rubbed, else a bright example.

Jagua Nana is a celebrated novel by Nigerian author Cyprian Ekwensi that vividly portrays the vibrant life of Lagos in the 1960s through the eyes of its bold and passionate protagonist, Jagua Nana.