COMES THE VOYAGER AT LAST. By Kofi Awoonor

Kofi Awoonor - the Ghanaian who first took the literary world by storm (before Ayi Kwei Armah); contemporary of the Achebes, Soyinkas, and Ngugis. Essentially renowned for his poetry, he also wrote two excellent novels, Comes the voyager at last being his second one (the publication of the book apparently delayed for many years). It is no surprise that lots of poetry dot Comes the voyager at last, though the prose of course is excellent. Awoonor luxuriated in his mother tongue Ewe, whilst alive, and often paid tribute to it as his "muse". He was a brilliant all-round writer, essayist, critic, novelist, poet, polemicist - general man of letters. He loved his continent, his people, his language et al passionately. Writing in English did not diminish his impact or influence; he was recognised as a great African writer. The language of Comes the Voyager at last is as impressive as that employed in his first (early) novel, This earth my Brother. Awoonor's second novel details the odyssey of an African who has run the gamut of painful human experience; taking in the horrific Trans-atlantic slave trade which devastated Africa so much; oppression, suppression, dehumanization and humiliation of the black man, particularly in the New World. Awoonor, like other writers - such as Ama Ata Aidoo, Armah, and Mphahlele - depicts disparate scenario of subjugated black man (race) whilst far away from "home" (Africa). Until the protagonist comes back home, home to "pristine" Africa where there is dignity, respect, panache, and strong bristling culture. And at last he finds love! Untramelled love within the prism and ambience of freedom, and tantalising societal mores. Here the author adumbrates SA writer, Es'kia Mphahlele, who always basked in "African humanism", "ubuntu" which he stressed was quite unique to Africa. And at last here, the Voyager is indeed quintessentially at home...kudos...
- Malome