WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 17, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious awards that can be bestowed on a person. Awarded to those whose careers have been dedicated to the betterment of the human race, the Nobel Prize is usually given for a lifetime of achievement. However, since its inception more than 100 years ago, few Africans have been recipients. In his new novel, The Colorful Nobel Laureate (now available through 1stBooks), author Bolanle Williams tells the story of two Nigerians, whose lives intertwine after one wins the Nobel Prize.
The Colorful Nobel Laureate traces the long, winding journey of Tunde and Ali, ambitious villagers born in the same village, generations apart, but whose lives are intertwined by fate. Ali grows up under the watchful eyes of his herbalist grandmother, an African doctor. It is her teachings that help him later in medical school and eventually revolutionize his career in medicine, leading him to the esteemed Nobel Prize. Tunde, through whom most of the events come to life, boldly pursues his own path within Nigeria. Longing to be a journalist, he wins an essay contest. While in pursuit of his dream, he meets Ali and their lives merge.
Williams addresses the discriminatory nature of the Nobel Prize. Through The Colorful Nobel Laureate, he looks at the social, working and political life in modern Africa, depicting the unending struggles and battles of the people as they search for social justice and equality. He exposes those who practice such racist ideologies and displays the mental and emotional anguish this kind of behavior can have.
"Nobel has injected international flavor especially in its attempt to demythologize certain perceived notions that the heritage of, and the capacity for excellence may reside in race, color, ethnicity or place of origin. An oblique treatment of discrimination, mankind's major malady and worst dream forms a part of the diary not to intentionally poke fun but to say and remind all that it is well and alive," Williams says.
The Colorful Nobel Laureate is a witty and intelligent novel about the nature of honoring the deserving and the discrimination that still persists in modern society.
Williams grew up in a typical Yoruba household in Nigeria. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a doctorate and has held chair positions at universities in Liberia and Nigeria. He has published numerous articles in a number of scholarly journals. The Colorful Nobel Laureate is his first novel.
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