FAR UP! FAR OUT! FAR MORE!

By Omoseye Bolaji

Very interesting comments here. It would appear that there is nothing else to say. But what about the new book itself which I initially read in electronic form?     

I would like to approach the book in apparent sections, though there is no such formal distinction in the work itself; so my approach is personal. For those who have come to expect the unexpected, or a measure of twists and turns in Bolaji's writing, the following chapters would stand out: The Termagant, The Shocker, Lucy, The Library. 

Some humour runs through a great deal of the short pieces here, probably moreso in the following: Keeping abreast of things, The bizarre episode, What is this, The Taxi, and The Termagant.       

As regards sports, at least two of the chapters focus on this: The fervour of the hordes; and Reminiscences of a sportsman. The latter obviously contains an account from an ex-footballer of some substance who touches on some aspects of the game that would not occur to the ordinary fan.  

The chapter or story, Oloolu, stands out for its sustained tension and suspense. It is dramatic, terse, vivid, and I dare say frightening. It involves the old ancestral masquerades of west Africa, which Bolaji incidentally touched on in his book, Thoughts on Free State Writing (2002)

One would expect occasional solid references to literature in this work, though in the main it is actually limited. The author's tribute to the magnificent writer, Wole Soyinka is the major article in this wise; though there are many other literary allusions in chapters like, A Man of the People, The Man Died, The Library, and even in Oloolu.

       

The scholar, Achal Prabhala has contended that in real life there are glimpses of the "Misanthrope" in Bolaji himself. (He correlates this with his impressions of the novel, People of the Townships - by Bolaji). As this new work is clearly very personal by the author, any traces of this alleged misanthrophy?   *Above, artist s impression of Bolaji.
  

It appears so - especially in the chapter titled The lugubrious one which is apparently wrapped in gloom and negativity. We are not really prepared for the presentation of the protagonist as a "very sad person" especially as he confirms this himself in the narrative!

Yet I suspect that this might well be another example of the author's occasional feigned naivete - which is hinted at again in chapters like The Shocker, and Merry Xmas a la Shoprite. 

I commend Mr Bolaji for this new trolley of his never-ending creativity. There is a lot to learn from this work, with a few chuckles along the way.

* Review by Raphael Mokoena 
Reproduced by kind permission of kagablog great art daily

Omoseye Bolaji - Unflagging Literary Icon

By Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga

Excerpts of his speech here:

Excuse my use of cliches, but this is indeed an auspicious occasion - as we not only celebrate this special birthday of Mr Omoseye Bolaji, but we also launch his new book, Far Up! Far Out! Far More! (See image below) Bolaji has published dozens of books, and we can no longer keep count!

For many years till date many people who are ardent lovers of literature have candidly admitted that Omoseye Bolaji is a great African writer who invariably fascinates the world with his literary prowess. Significantly and simultaneously his literary work has not only been enjoyed solely for the purpose of reading but however it has been imperatively studied by some literary aficionados and other important institutions.

Habitually, the most famous work ever published by Bolaji is the popular Tebogo Mystery series.  Briefly Mr Raphael Mokoena in the book “Tebogo In The Thick of Things” (Introduction) accentuates the fact that Omoseye Bolaji and the African Detective genre is one of the most inspiring, comprehensive yet terse.  This essay has now been translated into many international languages, including French and Spanish.

Equally important Omoseye Bolaji’s  flair for writing has been witnessed by his multi – skilled repertoire in creating so many piquant literary genres that include fictions, play, poems etc.   Glaringly, as many know Omoseye Bolaji is seriously passionate about literature since his childhood.  Apparently, in his literary autobiography My Life and Literature is conspicuously noticeable to understand that the protagonist is comprehensively attached to literature.

Moreover, it is important for me to state that Omoseye Bolaji originated from a country (Nigeria) where literature has been highly advanced for decades.  Nigeria over the years has produced many remarkable writers whose literary influence has contributed immensely in the world of letters.  Starting with Achebe (world famous for Things Fall Apart) and Wole Soyinka the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature – these are outstanding African writers. 

Nevertheless, Omoseye Bolaji though he originated from a country where literature is extremely thriving but his broad mind remains the pillar of strength in his overall impressive understanding of literature.  In fact it is generally conceded that his literary achievement although internationally recognized essentially blossomed in South Africa where he garnered so many delectable accolades.

Moreover, it is quite interesting to apprehend the fact that Omoseye Bolaji’s literary dexterity has earned him oodles of respect throughout the world.  Apparently, his splendid achievement and studies are explicitly glaring on the internet! On the whole, he is an extraordinary writer in Africa and the world. 

It is gripping and enthralling to see Omoseye Bolaji continuing to produce proliferating number of exhilarating books.  Definitely, while the memory of his more recent books – like  It couldn’t matter less, Kunle Apantaku (below) Tebogo In The Thick of Things (some might include Bolaji in His Pomp by Pule Lechesa) - is still vibrant and alluring in many people’s mind.  He has again just done it on his latest birthday, with the publication of his new book.

Nevertheless, it is profoundly arresting to find out that at this point in time he persists to delight the world with his unremitting writing.  The assiduous Omoseye Bolaji remains a symbol of inspiration to many people, patently he is a charismatic African writer.  In essence I would like to briefly compare him with the never-to-be-forgotten Ullil Beier.

Ulli Beier was a German Jewish editor, writer and scholar, who had a pioneering role in developing literature, drama, and poetry in Nigeria as well as literature, drama and poetry in Papua New Guinea.  Of course Omoseye Bolaji might have been influenced by Beier as he was one of the impressive teachers in Ibadan who was interested in Yoruba communities – but that was decades ago!.

Due to his subsequent anthropological work among the members of the clans that are native to these places, Beier was awarded Yoruba honorary Chieftaincy, a titular ilk that was also conferred on Bolaji.  Omoseye Bolaji has also been conferred with an African Chieftaincy by the Olubadan of Ibadanland in Nigeria, again for his contributions to African literature. Beier was pivotal in encouraging and publishing many first generation African writers. And how Bolaji has encouraged literature in general too!

In the meantime it is worth mentioning that the new book by prodigious Bolaji is being launched here as the icon celebrates his birthday on the 16 August.  As many mark his special day I must say his new book is a must-read book and it is fundamental to advance literature. The new book Far Up! Far Out! Far More! is dedicated to Petro Schonfeld and Obafemi Fasanmi (Esq). It is a super- duper, fantastic work of literature that whets the appetite...

Selected Bibliography of Bolaji

They Never Say When (1994)

Snippets (1998)

Fillets of Plaice (2000)

 Impossible Love (2000)

The ghostly Adversary (2001)

The Guillotine (2001)

Tebogo's spot of bother (2001)

Thoughts on Free State Writing (2002)

Tebogo Fails (2003)

People of the Townships (2003)

Ask Tebogo (2004)

The Subtle transgressor (2006)

Reverie (2006)

Poems from Mauritius (2007)

My life and Literature (2007)

Tebogo and the Haka (2008)

Tebogo and the epithalamion (2009)

Tebogo and the pantophagist (2010)

Miscellaneous Writings (2011)

Tebogo and the Bacchae (2012)

It Couldn't Matter Less (2013)

KUNLE APANTAKU (2013)

Tebogo in the thick of things (2013)

Far Up! Far Out! Far More! (2014)

Omoseye Bolaji takes a cursory look at Orwell's 1984

Re-reading George Orwell's classic, Nineteen Eighty Four has been a
poignant, sobering experience. Orwell wrote the book in the 40s
chillingly depicting a terrible world of ruthless dictatorship and
suppressed citizenry.

Over the years, thanks to this book, certain terms have become commonplace. They include Big Brother, Thought Police, Newspeak, The Ministry of Love, and (the dreaded) Room 101!  

 Of course in the modern world now the TV Reality show, Big
Brother is watched with keen interest by millions. This is one of the
legacies of Orwell's book; although not exactly what the author had in
mind.        

The concept of Big Brother is concisely and powerfully explained in the book, 1984:  

‘At the apex of the pyramid comes Big Brother. Big Brother is
infallible and all-powerful. Every success, every achievement, every
victory, every scientific development, all knowledge, all wisdom, all
happiness, all virtue, are held to issue directly from his leadership
and inspiration. Nobody has ever seen Big Brother. He is a face on the
hoardings, a voice on the telescreen. We may be reasonably sure that
he will never die, and there is already considerable uncertainty as to
when he was born. Big Brother is the guise in which the Party chooses
to exhibit itself to the world...’

It is a journey of rather warped discovery for Winston, the protagonist
of the novel; the work lucidly and imaginatively traces his
beleaguered life, his exhilarating affair with the lady, Julia, and
his fascination with O'Brien who turns out to be something of a
nightmare.

 In the book, the powers that be pull out all the stops with their
relentless propaganda to ensure that the people at large are always
hoodwinked and deceived. Winston, though wary enough is in no way
deceived; as this pellucid passage shows:      

‘He looked around the canteen. A low-celeinged, crowded room, its
walls grimy from the contact of innumerable bodies; battered metal
tables and chairs, placed so close together that you sat with elbows
touching; bent spoons, dented trays, coarse white mugs; all surfaces
greasy, grime in every crack; and a sourish, composite smell of bad
gin and bad coffee and metallic stew and dirty clothes...

‘…there had never been quite enough to eat, one had never had socks or
underclothes that were not full of holes, furniture had always been
battered and rickety, rooms underheated, tube trains crowded, houses
falling to pieces, bread dark-coloured, tea a rarity, coffee
filthy-tasting, cigarettes insufficient...one's heart sickened at the
discomfort and dirt and scarcity, the interminable winters, the
stickiness of one's socks, the lifts that never worked, the cold
water, the gritty soap, the cigarettes that came to pieces, the food
with its strange evil tastes?...’

This might remind us of what often happens here in Africa: with many national and provincial/State governments anxious to convince the denizens that life "has never been so good" for them, despite a preponderance of evidence to the
contrary. As life gets harsher, much more difficult, with even basic
facilities thin on the ground, the spin-doctors are always ready with
jejune statistics to "prove" how much better life is for the common
man and woman. Tosh.  

In the book, 1984, Winston is tortured in despicable fashion to ensure that he toes the line, and is finally "brainwashed" to regard the Party as the be-all and end-all.

There is an ambience of inevitability mixed with inconsolable melancholy as the book peters to an end, and we read: "It was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He (Winston) had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."