Amos Tutuola

Early Life and Background

Amos Olatubosun Tutuola was born on June 20, 1920, in Abeokuta, a significant city in Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. His parents were Yoruba, and his father, Charles Tutuola, was a cocoa farmer. This agricultural background likely influenced his later narratives, which often feature characters navigating dense forests and rural landscapes, deeply connected to the natural world. Growing up in a deeply traditional Yoruba society, Tutuola was immersed in the rich oral traditions, myths, legends, and folklore of his people from a very young age. These stories, often recounted by elders during evening gatherings, formed the foundational material and narrative style that would later characterize his unique literary output. His exposure to a blend of indigenous beliefs and the emerging colonial influences of the time shaped his worldview and provided a fertile ground for his imaginative storytelling. The cultural milieu of early 20th-century Nigeria, with its syncretism of traditional African religions, animism, and Christianity, also played a crucial role in his development as a writer, evident in the spiritual and supernatural elements pervasive in his works.

Education

Tutuola's formal education was notably limited, a fact that often surprises critics given the profound impact of his writing. He attended the Salvation Army School in Abeokuta from 1930 to 1933, followed by the Anglican Central School, also in Abeokuta, from 1934 to 1936. His schooling concluded abruptly after only six years due to his father's death in 1936, which forced him to leave school prematurely. He briefly attended Lagos High School in 1939 for a mere three months, but financial constraints again prevented him from continuing his studies. Despite this truncated formal education, Tutuola was largely self-taught, demonstrating a keen intellect and a voracious appetite for learning. He acquired proficiency in English through personal study and practical experience, which later enabled him to write his groundbreaking novels directly in the language, albeit in a distinctive and idiosyncratic style that became his literary signature. This limited formal schooling meant he was not steeped in Western literary traditions, allowing him to forge a unique path, unburdened by conventional narrative structures or academic expectations, thereby cultivating an authentic voice rooted in his cultural heritage.

Career

After leaving school, Amos Tutuola held various jobs to support himself and his family. Between 1939 and 1945, during the Second World War, he served as a messenger for the Department of Labour in Lagos. This period provided him with exposure to urban life and administrative structures, contrasting with his rural upbringing. Following the war, he trained as a coppersmith and worked as a storekeeper for the Department of Labour from 1946 to 1950. In 1951, a pivotal year, he secured a position as a storekeeper for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) in Ibadan, a role he would continue even after the NBS transitioned into the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in 1963. It was during his time as a storekeeper, often working evening shifts, that Tutuola began to write in earnest, penning his stories in longhand. His first and most famous novel, "The Palm-Wine Drinkard and his Dead Palm-Wine Tapster in the Deads' Town," was written in 1946 but famously published in 1952 by Faber and Faber in London, after being discovered by a British publisher. This publication marked the true beginning of his literary career, catapulting him onto the international stage. Despite his growing fame abroad, his professional life in Nigeria remained relatively stable and modest, continuing his work as a storekeeper until his retirement from the NBC in 1976. Later in his career, he held a visiting research fellowship at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) from 1983 to 1987, a significant recognition of his literary significance within academic circles in his homeland. He also spent time as an associate at the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in 1979, further cementing his global literary standing.

Major Achievements

Amos Tutuola's most significant achievement lies in his pioneering role in African literature written in English. His debut novel, "The Palm-Wine Drinkard and his Dead Palm-Wine Tapster in the Deads' Town" (1952), was a groundbreaking work that introduced a completely new narrative voice to the literary world. It was lauded by figures like the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who described it as a "brief, thronged, grisly and bewitching story." The novel uniquely blended traditional Yoruba oral narratives, myths, and folklore with a modern, almost surrealist, narrative style, characterized by its idiosyncratic English, direct syntax, and vivid imagery. This distinctive style, initially met with both fascination and criticism, ultimately became his hallmark and a subject of extensive academic study.

Following "The Palm-Wine Drinkard," Tutuola published several other notable works, including "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" (1954), which explored similar themes of the supernatural and epic journeys through fantastical realms; "Simbi and the Satyr of the Dark Jungle" (1955); "The Brave African Huntress" (1958); "The Feather Woman of the Jungle" (1962); "Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty" (1967); "The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town" (1981); and "Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer" (1987). His work was instrumental in paving the way for future generations of African writers, demonstrating that African stories, told through an African sensibility, could command international attention and respect. He showed that literary merit did not solely reside in adherence to Western literary conventions. While some Nigerian critics initially viewed his "broken English" style as an embarrassment or a lack of proficiency, international critics, particularly in Britain and America, celebrated it as an authentic and innovative expression of an African sensibility, a conscious artistic choice that mirrored the oral storytelling tradition. He received an honorary literary fellowship from the University of Iowa in 1979 and shared the Commonwealth Literature Prize in 1983 for "The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town." His influence extended beyond literature, inspiring artists and musicians, and his works have been translated into numerous languages, cementing his status as a global literary figure.

Personal Life

Amos Tutuola was married to Alake Victoria Tutuola. Together, they had five children: four sons and one daughter. Despite his international literary fame, Tutuola lived a relatively modest life in Nigeria. He remained committed to his family and his roots, preferring the quiet life of Ibadan to the more bustling literary circuits of London or New York. His personal life was largely devoid of public scandal or controversy, focusing instead on his writing and his duties as a husband and father. He often faced financial struggles, a common plight for many writers, especially in developing nations, and his income from writing, though significant for its time, did not elevate him to great wealth. He was known to be a reserved and humble man, deeply connected to the Yoruba culture that so profoundly shaped his literary imagination. His later years were spent in relative quiet, continuing to write and reflect on his unique journey from a storekeeper to a celebrated author. He passed away on June 8, 1997, at the age of 76, in Ibadan, Nigeria, leaving behind a profound literary legacy and a family who cherished his memory.

Legacy

Amos Tutuola's legacy is immense and enduring. He is widely regarded as one of the foundational figures of modern African literature, particularly for his pioneering use of English to convey distinctly African oral traditions and narratives. His groundbreaking works, especially "The Palm-Wine Drinkard," demonstrated the vitality and universality of Yoruba folklore and mythological storytelling. He challenged conventional notions of literary English, proving that a unique, hybridized form of the language could be a powerful vehicle for cultural expression. His narrative style, often described as "naïve" or "primitive" by early critics, is now recognized as a sophisticated and intentional literary device, a bridge between oral and written traditions, reflecting the rhythms and structures of Yoruba storytelling. Tutuola's influence can be seen in the works of subsequent African writers who explored indigenous themes and experimented with language, feeling empowered by his example to forge their own literary paths. He opened doors for others to write authentically from their cultural perspectives without feeling constrained by Western literary norms. His books continue to be studied in universities worldwide, examined for their anthropological insights, literary innovation, and their crucial role in the development of postcolonial literature. He left behind a body of work that is not only entertaining but also offers profound insights into the human condition, the spiritual world, and the rich tapestry of Yoruba cosmology. His contribution remains a testament to the power of individual vision and the enduring appeal of stories rooted in deep cultural heritage, solidifying his place as a unique and indispensable voice in world literature.