Tijan M. Sallah Bücher

In this rich and path-breaking collection of literary essays and criticism, the noted Gambian writer Tijan M. Sallah explores in provocative essays the theme of whether there is a Gambian national literature and how it differs from the literature of Senegal; explores the metaphysical systems and oratures of the Wolof and Jola peoples of Senegal and The Gambia; discusses the new Gambian poets and their poetry, and examines the writings and life of the late veteran Gambian writer, Lenrie Peters. In critically evaluating the metaphysical systems of the Wolof and the Jola, the book presents enormously rich, new information that has never been documented before and that had remained largely buried in oral traditions.

Tijan M. Sallah, the celebrated Gambian poet, returns with this new collection, I Come from a Country. This time his concern is his country of birth how it has changed or remained the same, and how the poet himself has changed. This collection also meanders into the poet's encounter with nature, and his travels to many other places, including China, Philippines and Bangladesh. Lastly, the poet reflects on the challenges of mid-life and of growing old, including remembrances of literary personalities, his friends Lenrie Peters, Nadine Gordimer, and Chinua Achebe, who have succumbed to the grim reaper. This is a remarkable collection, conversational in style and daring in its range and ambition.