Ben Okri Libri

La scena è quella del ghetto di Alaba, in Lagos, sterminata e babelicacapitale nigeriana. Omovo, giovane pittore dilettante rimasto a fianco delpadre vedovo, si innamora di Ifeyiwa, sposata giovanissima a un uomo piùvecchio di lei. E' la generazione cresciuta con la guerra del Biafra: nondiversamente dai loro coetanei, i due ancora sfuggono i fantasmi degli scontriinteretnici, ancora sono in cerca di una propria identità, di una collocazionesociale, quale che sia. Questo amore disperato sembra poterli affrancaredalla miseria di quel cortile affogato nel ghetto. Solo il drammatico percorsodi formazione del protagonista e la ricchezza interiore dei protagonistidi queste pagine rappresentano altrettanti punti di forza e di riscatto.

Azaro, il protagonista, è un 'abiku', uno spirito bambino destinato a morire e a rinascere più volte, perché sempre attratto dal 'magico' mondo degli spiriti che tutti dimentichiamo nascendo. Attraverso i suoi occhi, Ben Okri racconta la storia dell'Africa dei nostri giorni, paese nel quale la violenza politica sembra annunciare il fallimento di ogni speranza.

Una raccolta di storie africane, di grande forza evocativa, in cui il magico realismo di Ben Okri, insignito del ''Booker Prize'' nel 1991, ci dà la chiave di lettura del travagliato sviluppo di un continente. Un intenso scenario africano dove la gente mantiene ancora forti legami con la cultura e la religione animista dei villaggi. Sotto un sole implacabile o nella stagione delle piogge, la vita a Lagos è intensa, a volte drammatica, ma ricca di calda umanità e anche di poesia. La narrazione travalica il reale, giungendo inarrestabile in un universo onirico intessuto delle mitologie ancestrali che abitano l'anima e l'immaginario del popolo nigeriano.

Exploring themes of racism, intolerance, and environmental destruction, this epic poem by Booker Prize-winning author Ben Okri reflects on the dualities of human progress and regret. It celebrates achievements in art, technology, and freedom while confronting the harsh realities of slavery and societal issues. Through a historical lens, Okri conveys a message of hope for the future, emphasizing our capacity to shape it. Originally published in 1999, this revised edition resonates powerfully with contemporary challenges, serving as an anthem for the twenty-first century.

An epic poem touching on issues of racism, intolerance and environmental destructions.

Two actors, a thousand characters, and the story of how a kingdom is changed... An epic new adaptation of the 4,000-year-old Egyptian poem about the Warrior King, Sinuhe written by Booker Prize-winner Ben Okri that captures the essence of humanity and the complexities of immigration. This edition of Changing Destiny is published to coincide with the world premiere performance at London's Young Vic Theatre, directed by Young Vic Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah. Ben Okri is a poet, novelist, essayist, short story writer, anthologist, aphorist, and playwright. He has also written film scripts. His works have won numerous national and international prizes, including the Booker Prize for Fiction. He has also received many honorary doctorates for his contribution to Literature, and his novel, Astonishing the Gods, was selected as one of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World' Recently, his Grenfell poem, on Channel Four's YouTube page, has received more than 6 million views.

In this environmental fairytale made for our times, a little girl must go alone into the forest to find a special flower to cure her sick mother. Written to be read by adults and children, from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Famished Road.

This is a startling novel about different kinds of riches and different forms of power. It opens another chapter in the adventures of Azaro, the celebrated spirit-child of The Famished Road , winner of the Booker Prize. By turns thunderous and tender, it will resonate in the mind and heart of the reader for a long time.

Topical and timely, Booker Prize-winning author Ben Okri's new collection of short stories blur parallel realities and walk the line between darkness and magic. Is what you see all there is? Look again. Playful, frightening, even shocking – the stories in this collection blur the lines between illusion and reality. This is a writer at the height of his power, making the reader think, making them laugh, and sometimes making them want to look away while holding their gaze. Stories here are set in London, in Byzantium, in the ghetto, in the Andes, in a printer's shop in Spain. The characters include a murderer, a writer, a detective, a man in a cave, a man in a mirror, two little boys, a prison door, and the author himself. There are twenty-three stories in all. Each one will make you wonder if what you see in the world is all there is...

A collection of eight short stories that touch on different aspects of life within Nigeria and in the World at large. Contents: Laughter beneath the bridge Converging city Disparities Incidents at the shrine Masquerades A hidden history Crooked prayer The dream-vendor's August