Labyrinths

In this powerful collection of his poems, first published in 1971, Christopher Okigbo's rare and extraordinary talent is showcased in vivid clarity, cementing his place as a leading figure of postcolonial poetry. Labyrinths is the celebrated volume of work containing Christopher Okigbo's most renowned pieces of poetry. Each of his interlinked poems draw the reader into an arresting world of myth and contemplation - a maze of spiritual homecomings, divine dreams, and the long-drums of the dead. Famously, in his final sequence of six poems, Paths of Thunder, Okigbo expresses a prophetic fear of a nation overcome by war. One year after its composition, the Nigerian-Biafran War was decalred and Okigbo abandoned his career in order to fight. He died aged only thirty-five, leaving behind a reputation as one of the greatest Nigerian poets and an inspiration to the generations that followed him.'The finest Nigerian poet of his generation [and] one of the most remarkable anywhere in our time. Chinua Achebe'There are poets who have a magical presence in the literature of their lands... Christopher Okigbo is one such poet.' Ben Okri'One of the genuine renaissance people of our generation.' Wole Soyinka