Overview

These letters and poems are invaluable fragments of a living conversation that portrays the indomitable power in humans to stay alive in the face of certain death - to stay alive even in death. Reading through the treasure trove of the letters and poems compiled here as The Last Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa evokes intense memories of his resolute struggles against an oil behemoth and a deaf autocratic government. His crusade frames one of the most tumultuous periods of Nigeria's history; his tragic story evokes anger and demands action to resolve the crises that first led the Ogoni people to demand that Shell clean up Ogoni lands or clear out of the territory. It was Saro-Wiwa's leadership, in great part, that forced Shell out of Ogoni in January 1993. The letters are a testament of hope, being one side of robust conversations between two persons that many would find unlikely friends. We learn the lessons that indeed 'friends love at all times and brothers (and sisters) are born for adve

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This is a testament to the bravery of my father, Ken Saro-Wiwa. His words are an inspiration to anyone fighting against tyranny, and a reminder to oppressors the world over that the human spirit can never be broken. -- Noo Saro-Wiwa, author of Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (2012). Here is a remarkable book of the correspondence from one of the greatest leaders of our time to a strong and gentle Catholic sister living half-way around the world. Ken Saro-Wiwa, enduring harsh treatment and facing certain death, writes from detention in Nigeria about justice and honour and sets the bar for courage for the rest of us. Struggles for indigenous justice in the face of corporate tyranny continue to this day. Everyone engaged in these struggles will be moved and inspired by these haunting letters written by a legend. -- Maude Barlow, author, activist and National Chairperson of Council of Canadians. A poingnant collection that unveils a remarkable friendship as much as it animates the memory of Saro-Wiwa's indomitable spirit. It is perhaps one of the the bitter ironies of his life he had to feed the soldiers who gurarded him as well as witness army captains fight over who should be his jailer. -- Brian Chikwava, write and winner of the 2004 Caine Prize for African Writing, Associate Editor, Wasafiri Magazine More fully than any biographical essay would have done, the letters and the poems reveal the mind of the campaigner for justice while he is under arrest, courageously planning and prompting, writing and keeping himself informed, keeping his cause alive, but they also show Ken Saro-Wiwa as the anxious father worrying about his children and as the man alone thrown on his resources. The three lucid essays which frame the letters prove an excel- lent and informative guide to the events behind the letters and add to the importance of this publication. -- Abdulrazak Gurnah, novelist, Booker Prize nominee 2004, winner of the RFI Temoin du Monde Prize 2006 and Professor of English at the University of Kent The letters and poems collected in this volume show with great eloquence that Saro-Wiwa confronted Abacha's darkness, and the darkness of the international oil conglomerates, especially Shell, with anger, sadness, wit and humour. In nearly every letter and poem in the volume there is suffusing light and uncommon grace. I confidently expect that in time, this slim volume will take its rightful place among the most important works of prison writing and environmental activism in the world. -- Biodun Jeyifo, Harvard University Following Ken Saro-Wiwa's second arrest in 1994, Sr Majella McCarron approached Trocaire for help. His release became a priority campaign for us, and we engaged with Shell, the media and Government to try and com- mute the death sentences for him and the eight co-accused Ogoni leaders. I remember the despair in Trocaire's offices on 10th November 1995 when we learned that all nine had been executed. The struggle of the Ogoni people is a part of Trocaire's history, and the writings in Silence Would be Treason: Last Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa are a testament to Ken Saro-Wiwa's spirit and courage, demonstrating that, even in the darkest of times, love truly can conquer fear. -- Eamonn Meehan, Executive Director of Trocaire I couldn't help but wonder what took this book so long to come out. Perhaps because of the medium--personal letters to Sr. Majella--yet still, given their scope: the political content and indomitable spirit, the environmental issues in Ogoniland, the international campaign for theOgoni Nine and the prospects for democracy in Nigeria and elsewhere, one would have hoped that it was clear they belonged in the public domain. Considering the delay therefore, 18 years of silence have been committed. Thank goodness the book is now available and what a story! The kind that would not forgive silence if it had remained untold. -- Mildred Barya, African Literary News, 2013 Clear and direct, these letters and poems are the last expression of a voice the regime was determined to silence: a voice for indigenous rights, environ- mental survival and democracy, many of those battles were won despite his death and whose voice comes alive today again in these extraordinary letters. -- Boletim Africanista, 2013 Silence Would be Treason - Last Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa, is a great book. It revives and supplements the fading memories of actors and actresses like us (not spectators) during the gloomy days. It needs to be read carefully with an open mind. The book contains correct information about the hey days of the Ogoni struggle, its victories, failures, betrayals and travails in the naked face of highly organized state/corporate violence and conspiracies against a marginalised and embittered people of the eastern Niger Delta belt in Nigeria. -- Patrick Naagbanton, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 2014

This is a testament to the bravery of my father, Ken Saro-Wiwa. His words are an inspiration to anyone fighting against tyranny, and a reminder to oppressors the world over that the human spirit can never be broken. -- Noo Saro-Wiwa, author of Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (2012). Here is a remarkable book of the correspondence from one of the greatest leaders of our time to a strong and gentle Catholic sister living half-way around the world. Ken Saro-Wiwa, enduring harsh treatment and facing cer- tain death, writes from detention in Nigeria about justice and honour and sets the bar for courage for the rest of us. Struggles for indigenous justice in the face of corporate tyranny continue to this day. Everyone engaged in these struggles will be moved and inspired by these haunting letters written by a legend. -- Maude Barlow, author, activist and National Chairperson of Council of Canadians. A poingnant collection that unveils a remarkable friendship as much as it animates the memory of Saro-Wiwa's indomitable spirit. It is perhaps one of the the bitter ironies of his life he had to feed the soldiers who gurarded him as well as witness army captains fight over who should be his jailer. -- Brian Chikwava, write and winner of the 2004 Caine Prize for African Writ- ing, Associate Editor, Wasafiri Magazine More fully than any biographical essay would have done, the letters and the poems reveal the mind of the campaigner for justice while he is under arrest, courageously planning and prompting, writing and keeping himself informed, keeping his cause alive, but they also show Ken Saro-Wiwa as the anxious father worrying about his children and as the man alone thrown on his resources. The three lucid essays which frame the letters prove an excel- lent and informative guide to the events behind the letters and add to the imporance of this publication. -- Abdulrazak Gurnah, novelist, Booker Prize nominee 2004, winner of the RFI Te moin du Monde Prize 2006 and Professor of English at the University of Kent The letters and poems collected in this volume show with great eloquence that Saro-Wiwa confronted Abacha's darkness, and the darkness of the inter- national oil conglomerates, especially Shell, with anger, sadness, wit and humour. In nearly every letter and poem in the volume there is suffusing light and uncommon grace. I confidently expect that in time, this slim vol- ume will take its rightful place among the most important works of prison writing and environmental activism in the world. -- Biodun Jeyifo, Harvard University Following Ken Saro-Wiwa's second arrest in 1994, Sr Majella McCarron approached Tro caire for help. His release became a priority campaign for us, and we engaged with Shell, the media and Government to try and com- mute the death sentences for him and the eight co-accused Ogoni leaders. I remember the despair in Tro caire's offices on 10th November 1995 when we learned that all nine had been executed. The struggle of the Ogoni people is a part of Tro caire's history, and the writings in Silence Would be Treason: Last Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa are a testament to Ken Saro-Wiwa's spirit and courage, demonstrating that, even in the darkest of times, love truly can conquer fear. -- E amonn Meehan, Executive Director of Tro caire Clear and direct, these letters and poems are the last expression of a voice the regime was determined to silence: a voice for indigenous rights, environ- mental survival and democracy, many of those battles were won despite his death and whose voice comes alive today again in these extraordinary let- ters. -- Boletim Africanista, 2013

This is a testament to the bravery of my father, Ken Saro-Wiwa. His words are an inspiration to anyone fighting against tyranny, and a reminder to oppressors the world over that the human spirit can never be broken. -- Noo Saro-Wiwa, author of Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (2012). Here is a remarkable book of the correspondence from one of the greatest leaders of our time to a strong and gentle Catholic sister living half-way around the world. Ken Saro-Wiwa, enduring harsh treatment and facing cer- tain death, writes from detention in Nigeria about justice and honour and sets the bar for courage for the rest of us. Struggles for indigenous justice in the face of corporate tyranny continue to this day. Everyone engaged in these struggles will be moved and inspired by these haunting letters written by a legend. -- Maude Barlow, author, activist and National Chairperson of Council of Canadians. A poingnant collection that unveils a remarkable friendship as much as it animates the memory of Saro-Wiwa's indomitable spirit. It is perhaps one of the the bitter ironies of his life he had to feed the soldiers who gurarded him as well as witness army captains fight over who should be his jailer. -- Brian Chikwava, write and winner of the 2004 Caine Prize for African Writ- ing, Associate Editor, Wasafiri Magazine More fully than any biographical essay would have done, the letters and the poems reveal the mind of the campaigner for justice while he is under arrest, courageously planning and prompting, writing and keeping himself informed, keeping his cause alive, but they also show Ken Saro-Wiwa as the anxious father worrying about his children and as the man alone thrown on his resources. The three lucid essays which frame the letters prove an excel- lent and informative guide to the events behind the letters and add to the imporance of this publication. -- Abdulrazak Gurnah, novelist, Booker Prize nominee 2004, winner of the RFI Témoin du Monde Prize 2006 and Professor of English at the University of Kent The letters and poems collected in this volume show with great eloquence that Saro-Wiwa confronted Abacha's darkness, and the darkness of the inter- national oil conglomerates, especially Shell, with anger, sadness, wit and humour. In nearly every letter and poem in the volume there is suffusing light and uncommon grace. I confidently expect that in time, this slim vol- ume will take its rightful place among the most important works of prison writing and environmental activism in the world. -- Biodun Jeyifo, Harvard University Following Ken Saro-Wiwa's second arrest in 1994, Sr Majella McCarron approached Trócaire for help. His release became a priority campaign for us, and we engaged with Shell, the media and Government to try and com- mute the death sentences for him and the eight co-accused Ogoni leaders. I remember the despair in Trócaire's offices on 10th November 1995 when we learned that all nine had been executed. The struggle of the Ogoni people is a part of Trócaire's history, and the writings in Silence Would be Treason: Last Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa are a testament to Ken Saro-Wiwa's spirit and courage, demonstrating that, even in the darkest of times, love truly can conquer fear. -- Éamonn Meehan, Executive Director of Trócaire Clear and direct, these letters and poems are the last expression of a voice the regime was determined to silence: a voice for indigenous rights, environ- mental survival and democracy, many of those battles were won despite his death and whose voice comes alive today again in these extraordinary let- ters. -- Boletim Africanista, 2013

Author Information

"Íde Corley is a Lecturer in English at Maynooth University where she directs MA programmes in Postcolonial and World Literatures and in Irish Literature and Culture. Her research focuses primarily on twentieth-century literary engagements with the politics of black unity associated with tri-continental Pan-African nationalism, African socialism and modern African identity. She was the Principal Convenor of an ESF-funded workshop entitled ""Multiple Modernities of Same-Sex Sexuality in Nigeria"" in 2010 and has published articles and reviews in Modern Language Studies, Interventions and Journal of Postcolonial Writing. Helen Fallon is Deputy University Librarian at Maynooth University. She has worked in libraries in Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Namibia and Saudi Arabia. Her professional interests include libraries in developing countries, African women writers, staff develop-ment, academic publishing, creativity, and the leadership and marketing of academic libraries. She has published extensively and runs workshops on academic publishing and maintains a blog for library staff who wish to write for publication at http: //academicwritinglibrarian.blogspot.ie/ Laurence Cox co-directs the MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism at Maynooth University. He is cofounder of the international, open-access social movement journal Interface, co-editor of Understanding European Movements: New Social Movements, Global justice Struggles, Anti- Austerity Protest, Marxism and social Movements and author of Buddhism and Ireland. He is currently part of an international team researching the life of U Dhammaloka, an Irish migrant worker who became a Buddhist monk and anti-colonial activist in early 20th Century Burma. Dr Cox has been involved in a wide range of social movements in several countries for over quarter of a century."

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