The Palm-Wine Drinkard

The Palm-Wine Drinkard was written by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola and published in 1952. The book was published in London by Faber and Faber. It was among the first novels by a West African author to achieve wide international distribution.

The novel follows an unnamed narrator on a mythological quest through a supernatural spirit world to find his dead palm-wine tapster so he can continue drinking palm wine. Along the way, he encounters bizarre creatures, ghosts, and deities drawn from Yoruba folklore and mythology. The narrative unfolds as a series of fantastical episodes rather than a conventional Western plot.

The Palm-Wine Drinkard was among the first African novels to achieve international acclaim, helping introduce Yoruba oral storytelling traditions to a global readership. Published in 1952 by Faber and Faber, it received a famously enthusiastic review from Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. It is considered a foundational work in modern African literature.

The Palm-Wine Drinkard was written in English, but Tutuola used the language in a highly distinctive way that incorporated Yoruba syntax, oral storytelling patterns, and idioms. His unconventional English was criticized by some Nigerian literary figures but celebrated internationally for its originality. This stylistic approach became a defining feature of his literary voice.