Ken Saro-Wiwa will be remembered for his unflagging and courageous work as an advocate for the rights of the Ogoni people in the Niger Delta, his success as author and producer of the television comedy

Basi and Company

, his authorship of the linguistically dexterous

Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English

, his plain volume of poems,

Songs in a Time of War

, and for the failure of international “statesmen” to act and prevent his “judicial murder.”

Kenule Saro-Wiwa was born on October 10, 1941 in Bori, Ogoni. His father, Chief J. B. Wiwa (b. 1904) was a forest ranger who earned his living as a businessman. His mother, Widu (b. 1920) was a trader and farmer. Saro-Wiwa's mother tongue was Khana, and his first few years of schooling at the Native Authority School, Bori, were in that

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Citation: McLuckie, Craig. "Ken Saro-Wiwa". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 August 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3937, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3937 Ken Saro-Wiwa 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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