-The Palm-Wine Drinkard

In this work, one of the first Nigerian novels to be published outside of Africa, Tutuola draws on Yoruba folk-tales that had been passed down in an oral tradition. The novel follows the journey of the narrator, who is addicted to the alcoholic wine made from palm sap, as he travels to Dead’s Town in search of a recently deceased man who prepared his palm-wine. On his journey, the narrator has mystical experiences and visits imaginary places like Unreturnable- Heaven, known for its cruel inhabitants, and Wraith-Island, which is plagued by dangerous creatures. The book is written in idiomatic English, what some refer to as “broken English,” for which it has been criticized in Tutuola’s native Nigeria.