Incidents at the Shrine is a collection of
eight short stories by Ben Okri, the 1991 Booker Prize winner (with Famished
Road). These eight short stories touch on different aspects of life within Nigeria
and in the World at large. Though the stories are varied, a common theme
threading through this novel is the magical reality that underlies Okri's
writing.
In 'Laughter Beneath the Bridge', the Biafran war is told from the
viewpoint of a ten year old boy. If it had never occurred to you that wars
could also affect the emotional life of younger children then read this short
piece. Children and women had most often being cited as the victims
