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This play, first published in 1979, deals with what I am told is a common bone of contention in Igboland, namely, ownership of land. It can cause bitterness between members of the same family, as the author shows here. The play illustrates the traditional method of settling disputes, in this case validated by what appears to be supernatural intervention. The author has aptly given the two cousins in this play names that reflect their characters. "Oguamalam" means "May I not be found guilty," and "Ikekwem" means "May strength be with me." Note that comments inserted in square brackets are my own and not the playwright's. Because I worked on the translation intermittently for a number of years, I had the help of three native speakers in succession: Joel Nwamuo, Tina Durunna, and Jennifer Ekeanyanwu. I am very grateful to them.
So far, I have no biographical information about the author, but I will
continue to search for it.
Frances W. Pritchett
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