ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Cover

BREAKING! Literary icon JP Clark dies

Literary community mourns

13th October 2020
in Cover, National
0
BREAKING! Literary icon JP Clark dies
0
SHARES
449
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Henry Akubuiro

Legendary Nigerian playwright, poet and literary scholar, Emeritus Professor JP Clark is no more. He died yesterday, aged 85.

Announcing his death in a statement on behalf of his family, Prof. C. C. Clark Mr. Ilaye Clark, said, “The Clark-Fuludu Bekederemo family of Kiagbodo Town, Delta State, wishes to announce that Emeritus Professor of Literature and Renowned Writer, Prof. John Pepper Clark, has finally dropped his pen in the early hours of today, Tuesday, 13 October, 2020.

“Prof. J. P. Clark has paddled on to the great beyond in comfort of his wife, children and sibbling, around him. The family appreciates your prayers at this time. Other details will be announced later by the family.”

Reacting to his passage, iconic playwright, Professor Femi Osofisan, told Daily Sun, “I am in a big shock at the moment, and I lack words to express how I feel.”

Odia Ofeimun, a legendary poet and one of his best known critics, said, ‘JP Clark has been very loyal to our literature. He never stopped producing. He was always writing poems, no matter whatever he did in the world. Until most recent years, it was as if he was publishing books almost every other year. A man who is that consistent to his profession deserves the proper respect of his colleagues at his death.

“While I am one of his known critics, I am also one of his best admirers, because a critic doesn’t only criticise; he also acknowledges value and praises what is worthwhile. If only for his loyalty to our literature —the fact that he consistently produced and never got distracted by any criticism or praise, he deserves all the honour.

“Ours is not a great country. He was honoured by all his colleagues, but he didn’t get a national honour, because of the lousy perspectives of most governments in the country. But he made it, because almost every school child has been on his side— they acknowledge his value and always identify with him.”

Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, a former student of his, who went on to become a teaching staff colleague of his in the Department of English, University of Lagos, told Daily Sun it was a big loss.

“It is painful, but we remember him with love. At the University of Lagos, he was such an inspiration to those of us who were aspiring writers at that time and those of us who were doing our postgraduate studies.

“He taught me as an undergraduate, so I have really benefited from his tutelage. He was a mentor to many of us at Unilag, and we have continued to remember him and teach his books. He was a good writer, one of the best in Nigeria and one of the best known in Africa, too. “So Nigeria has lost a literary icon. He will never be forgotten, and I hope his home state, Delta, and Nigeria should keep his legacy and name one or two places after him for him to be remembered. It’s the same thing I say about late Chinua Achebe: they are the ones who make Nigerian literature what it is today.”

John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo was born on April 6, 1935, in Kiagbodo, Delta State, to an Ijaw father and Urhobo mother. He got his early education at the Native Authority School, Okrika (Ofinibenya-Ama), in Burutu LGA (then Western Ijaw), and the prestigious Government College in Ughelli, and his BA degree in English at the University of Ibadan, where he edited various magazines, including The Beacon and The Horn.

In 1960, he worked as an information officer in the Ministry of Information, in the old Western Region of Nigeria, as features editor of the Daily Express, and as a research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. He served for several years as a professor of English at the University of Lagos, a position from which he retired in 1980. At Unilag, he co-edited the literary magazine Black Orpheus.

Clark has also taught at several institutions of higher learning, including Yale and Wesleyan University in the United States.

His major works include the plays: The Raft (1964), Ozidi (1966), The Boat (198), and the poetry volumes: A Reed in the Tide (1965), and Casualties (1966-68).

Philip Nwosu

Philip Nwosu

Related Posts

BREAKING: Cynthia Okereke kidnappers demand $100,000 ransom
Cover

BREAKING: Cynthia Okereke kidnappers demand $100,000 ransom

31st July 2022
Concerns by Christians on Muslim-Muslim ticket real, says new CAN President
National

Kalu hails Okoh, new CAN president

31st July 2022
Insecurity: Bandits’ve turned north to killing field, says Sultan
National

Pray earnestly against insecurity in Nigeria, Sultan tells Muslims

31st July 2022
Next Post
Edo: Action Alliance not challenging Obaseki's victory - National Chairman

Edo: Action Alliance not challenging Obaseki's victory - National Chairman

COVID-19: Delta warns against resumption of school classes

COVID-19: Delta warns against resumption of school classes

Phyno, Flavour, Zoro lead massive #EndSARS protest in Enugu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

Pray earnestly against insecurity in Nigeria, Sultan tells Muslims

Voters education: Group honours Orji Kalu with leadership award

Mass exodus hits Kaduna community following terrorists’ attacks

4 days after, kidnappers of Enugu Nollywood stars yet to contact families

Agric project: Enugu Catholic Diocese lauds Ugwuanyi, Peter Mbah on supports

Unconditional release: FG knows it can’t dare UN, IPOB tells Northern groups

Trending

BREAKING: Cynthia Okereke kidnappers demand $100,000 ransom
Cover

BREAKING: Cynthia Okereke kidnappers demand $100,000 ransom

31st July 2022
0

  The unknown gunmen that abducted two veteran Nigerian actors, Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel, aka Agbogidi,...

FCT and the change mantra

Tinubu vs. Atiku and the contest of liars

31st July 2022
Concerns by Christians on Muslim-Muslim ticket real, says new CAN President

Kalu hails Okoh, new CAN president

31st July 2022
Insecurity: Bandits’ve turned north to killing field, says Sultan

Pray earnestly against insecurity in Nigeria, Sultan tells Muslims

31st July 2022
…Postponement: Kalu thanks Buhari, Buni for consideration of request

Voters education: Group honours Orji Kalu with leadership award

31st July 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on social media:

Latest News

  • BREAKING: Cynthia Okereke kidnappers demand $100,000 ransom
  • Tinubu vs. Atiku and the contest of liars
  • Kalu hails Okoh, new CAN president
  • Pray earnestly against insecurity in Nigeria, Sultan tells Muslims
  • Voters education: Group honours Orji Kalu with leadership award
  • Mass exodus hits Kaduna community following terrorists’ attacks
  • 4 days after, kidnappers of Enugu Nollywood stars yet to contact families
  • Agric project: Enugu Catholic Diocese lauds Ugwuanyi, Peter Mbah on supports
  • Unconditional release: FG knows it can’t dare UN, IPOB tells Northern groups
  • Soludo has demonstrated uncanny commitment to Igbo cause –Ohanaeze
  • Muslim-Muslim ticket divisive, unjust, insensitive, APC northern Christians insist
  • Senator Ekweremadu –The abuse of a good law to hang an innocent man
  • Sleepwalking to disaster
  • Maddening Monday
  • Knowing friends to keep; friends to avoid
  • 2023: Situating anticipated governorship ‘coronation’ in Enugu
  • Signs you’re not moving enough
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI)
  • NAUTH plans digital school of health information
  • 5,000 APC supporters defect to PDP in Cross River

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Anambra Watch
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • Change of Name
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.