Kalakuta Republic

This powerful collection of poems details the harrowing experiences endured by Abani and other political prisoners at the hands of Nigeria's military regime in the late 1980s.Abani vividly describes the characters that peopled this dark world, from prison inmates such as John James, tortured to death at the age of fourteen, to the general overseers. First published after his release from jail in 1991, Kalakuta Republic remains a paean to those who suffered and to the indomitable human spirit.

Chris Abani is a Nigerian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. His publications include The Secret History of Las Vegas, Song for Night, The Virgin of Flames and Graceland. He is Professor of English at Northwestern University, and the recipient of many prizes, including the PEN USA Freedom-to-Write Award, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship and the PEN Hemingway Prize. www.chrisabani.com