Wole Soyinka is set to release his first novel in nearly half a century, reports This is Lagos. The Nobel Laureate, who is known and revered for his plays and poetry, has published two novels: The Interpreters (1964) and The Season of Anomy (1972). The Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth will be his third and is set for publication before the end of the year, first in Nigeria and followed by other regions. The 524-page novel will be published by Bookcraft.

Here is the publisher’s description of the book:

“After decades of jousting with the powers that e and living to tell the tale, Wole Soyinka has returned to his roots: storytelling. And thought it’s been nearly 40 years after his last work of prose fiction, Wole Soyinka proves with this novel that he has lost none of his story-telling chops! A narrative tour de force, this novel has got everything— friendship and betrayal; faith and treachery; hope and cynicism; murder; mayhem and no shortage of of drama, all set against the backdrop of contemporary Nigeria. As you would expect from a Soyinka’s work, it’s got plenty of colourful characters, profound insights, witty commentary, and the most elegant language! In Soyinka’s expert hands, the apparently disparate strands are woven together with a master story teller’s aplomb. ”Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth” is a great and unputdownable read from start to finish.”