In the Shadow of a Saint Paperback by Ken Wiwa

Product Details

• Publisher: Vintage Canada (2001-09-04)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 272 pages
• ISBN-13: 9780676973105
• Item Weight: 232.47 grams
• Dimensions: 8.0 x 5.2 x 0.75 cm

In late 1995, the little-known Ogoni region in Nigeria became a fable for our times. Ken Saro-Wiwa, a renowned poet and environmentalist, was campaigning to protect his Ogoni people against the encroachments of Shell Oil and a brutal dictatorship. He was imprisoned, tortured, brought to trial on trumped-up charges, and executed.

At the heart of the public campaign to save Ken Saro-Wiwa was another Ken Wiwa—the author's son—who travelled the world lobbying world leaders and mobilizing public opinion, so that his father was recognized as a hero and a symbol of the struggle for environmental justice. The Saro-Wiwa name became global currency for righteousness.

Ken Wiwa has embarked on a book that tells the story—from a human, anecdotal perspective—of what it means to grow up as a child in the shadow of such extraordinary men and women. In the end, it's about Ken's attempts to make peace with himself and his father—following his journey as he reaches toward a final rendezvous with the father who was snatched by the hangman.

About the Author

Born in Nigeria and educated in England, KEN WIWA contributed to The Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Ottawa Citizen, The Toronto Star, The Guardian, Sunday Telegraph, the Independent, the Independent on Sunday and the Observer. Internationally his journalism has appeared in South Africa, Holland, Germany and Spain and in a weekly column for Vanguard in Nigeria. Ken was the Internet editor for The Guardian for nearly two years. He lived in Canada with his family
where he was the writer-in-residence of several institutions, including the Senior Resident Writer at Massey College in the University of Toronto. He died in 2016.