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John Pepper Clark Editor

John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo was a poet, playwright, and professor of literature, who also published as J. P. Clark and John Pepper Clark. He was born in Kiagbodo, Nigeria in 1935 and was educated at the University of Ibadan, graduating in 1960 with a BA in English. Until 1980, he taught at the University of Lagos, where he was also co-editor of the magazine Black Orpheus, the first African literary journal written in English. As well as being a prolific writer of poetry and plays, Clark also produced translations and travelogues such as America, Their America (1964) which was written after Clark spent time studying in the United States at Princeton University. The book propelled his international reputation but also resulted in controversy in the US for its criticism of American society. In 1991, he received the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award for literary excellence and was awarded a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) by the University of Lagos. Clark died in 2020.