Death and the King’s Horseman: A Norton Critical Edition: Second Edition

“This Second Edition of Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman has been edited by Simon Gikandi to further augment its place as one of the most important texts of world literature. Gikandi’s notes are both masterful and well-judged and help to provide a rich framework for situating the play historically, dramaturgically, and also in terms of its adoption and alchemical reconstruction of key aspects of Soyinka’s own Yoruba culture. This Norton edition is a must for all serious scholars of Death and the King’s Horseman.” —Ato Quayson, Stanford University

“With its substantial new introduction by a preeminent literary scholar, this book offers provocative and diverse perspectives on Death and the King’s Horseman. Each essay reminds us of the staggering beauty and complexity of this classic African play. The book is a welcome addition to any collection, especially at the present time when scholars are debating how to understand local systems of knowledge in world drama.” —Stephanie Newell, Yale University

“An authoritative edition with an insightful introduction by Simon Gikandi who situates Soyinka’s play in the context of ‘Yoruba beliefs and systems of thought’ along with covering this Nobel laureate’s diverse 60-year career. Key essays provide significant cultural and critical material (updated from the 2003 Norton Critical Edition) valuable to students and scholars in interpreting this play. Additionally, a new section, ‘The Play on Stage,’ usefully brings the printed text to life with discussions of Soyinka as director, and the challenges of producing this play in theaters across the world with varying audiences, and critical receptions. A welcome new Critical Edition from Norton.” —Ketu H. Katrak, University of California, Irvine