Dogs in the Sun

written by G.D. Nyamndi

This compelling narrative pits the legacies of two men in the village of Nwemba. Winjala the Crude, yardman to the English surveyor Pete Harrington, kills the latter’s favourite animal, the big monkey called Stirrup, and runs to his village. Sama Gakoh, washerman to Harrington, also returns home when his services are terminated for age reasons. Both hold clashing views of the white man. They die shortly after their return but their sons pick up and sustain their conflicting philosophies. The drama culminates in the fishing contest where the village chief, Ndelu, takes an unprecedented decision charged with meaning and wisdom. The action is given piquancy by a strong undercurrent of human passion that flies in the face, so to speak, of artifices that divide and alienate. We are dealing here with a profound allegory that brings the classical stereotypes into pointed – and hopefully final – disrepute.

G.D. Nyamndi

G.D. Nyamndi is a critic, playwright and essayist of some repute. He is the author of a play collection, The Silver Lining, and of the highly acclaimed political treatise, Whether Losing Whether Winning. Babi Yar Symphony is his first novel, to be followed in the months ahead by another one, Dogs in the Sun. He teaches Language and Literature at the University of Buea in Cameroon, where he is also Head of the Department of English.