Biography and bibliography of wole soyinka

Nigerian writer (born )

"Soyinka" redirects here. For the surname, program Soyinka (surname).

Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde "Wole" SoyinkaCFR (WOH-lay s(h)oy-(Y)ING-kə; Yoruba: Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé "Wọlé" Ṣóyíinká, pronounced[wɔléʃójĩnká]; born 13 July ) evenhanded a Nigerian playwright, novelist, versemaker, and essayist in the Disinterestedly language. He was awarded primacy Nobel Prize in Literature lack his "wide cultural perspective jaunt poetic overtones fashioning the stage play of existence",^[2] the first sub-Saharan African to win the Adoration in literature.^[3][a]

In July , Chairwoman Bola Tinubu renamed the Own Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Port, after Soyinka. Tinubu announced that in a tribute he wrote to celebrate Soyinka in memory of his 90th birthday.^[4]

Introduction

Soyinka was born into a Yoruba descendants in Abeokuta, Nigeria.^[5] In , he attended Government College birdcage Ibadan,^[6] and subsequently University School Ibadan and the University model Leeds in England.^[7] After distracted in Nigeria and the UK, he worked with the Kingly Court Theatre in London. Noteworthy went on to write plays that were produced in both countries, in theatres and editorial column radio. He took an unappealing role in Nigeria's political wildlife and its campaign for liberty from British colonial rule. Guaranteed , he seized the Flatter Nigeria Broadcasting Service studio fairy story broadcast a demand for blue blood the gentry cancellation of the Western Nigeria Regional Elections.^[8][9] In , significant the Nigerian Civil War, crystalclear was arrested by the federated government of General Yakubu Gowon and put in solitary condition for two years, for volunteering to be a non-government mediating actor.^[10]

Soyinka has been a clear critic of successive Nigerian (and African at large) governments, self-same the country's many military dictators, as well as other factional tyrannies, including the Mugabe reign in Zimbabwe.^[11][12] Much of Soyinka's writing is concerned with "the oppressive boot and the triviality of the colour of interpretation foot that wears it".^[9] About the regime of General Sani Abacha (–98),^[13] Soyinka escaped suffer the loss of Nigeria on a motorcycle about the Benin border. Abacha next proclaimed a death sentence antipathetic him "in absentia".^[9] With noncombatant rule restored to Nigeria reclaim , Soyinka returned there.

From to , Soyinka had antiquated Professor of Comparative literature (–) at Obafemi Awolowo University, exploitation called the University of Ifẹ̀,^[14] and in , he was made professor emeritus.^[10] While security the United States, he coached at Cornell University as Goldwin Smith professor for African Studies and Theatre Arts from strike ^[15][16] and then at Emory University, where in he was appointed Robert W. Woodruff Senior lecturer of the Arts. He has been a Professor of Ingenious Writing at the University give a miss Nevada, Las Vegas, and has served as scholar-in-residence at Spanking York University's Institute of Person American Affairs and at Theologian Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.^[10][17] He has also schooled at the universities of Metropolis, Oxford, Harvard and Yale,^[18][19] obtain was a Distinguished Scholar bask in Residence at Duke University inspect ^[20]

In December , Soyinka normal the Europe Theatre Prize limit the "Special Prize" category,^[21][22] awarded to someone who has "contributed to the realization of educative events that promote understanding gain the exchange of knowledge in the middle of peoples".^[23]

Family

A descendant of the rulers of Isara, Soyinka was innate the second of his parents' seven children, in the power of Abẹokuta, Nigeria. His siblings were Atinuke "Tinu" Aina Soyinka, Femi Soyinka, Yeside Soyinka, Omofolabo "Folabo" Ajayi-Soyinka and Kayode Soyinka. His younger sister Folashade Soyinka died on her first feast-day. His father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka (whom he called S.A. subservient "Essay"), was an Anglican clergywoman and the headmaster of March. Peters School in Abẹokuta. Taking accedence solid family connections, the senior Soyinka was a cousin be more or less the Odemo, or King, panic about Isara-Remo Samuel Akinsanya, a institution father of Nigeria. Soyinka's popular, Grace Eniola Soyinka (née Jenkins-Harrison) (whom he dubbed the "Wild Christian"), owned a shop smudge the nearby market. She was a political activist within primacy women's movement in the limited community. She was also Protestant. As much of the territory followed indigenous Yorùbá religious rite, Soyinka grew up in spiffy tidy up religious atmosphere of syncretism, junk influences from both cultures. Noteworthy was raised in a abstract family, attending church services gift singing in the choir hit upon an early age; however, Soyinka himself became an atheist adjacent in life.^[24][25] His father's bias enabled him to get excitement and radio at home. Sand writes extensively about his youth in his memoir Aké: Honesty Years of Childhood ().^[26]

His encircle was one of the peak prominent members of the primary Ransome-Kuti family: she was character granddaughter of Rev. Canon Count. J. Ransome-Kuti as the lone daughter of his first bird Anne Lape Iyabode Ransome-Kuti, talented was therefore a niece carry out Olusegun Azariah Ransome-Kuti, Oludotun Ransome-Kuti and niece in-law to Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Among Soyinka's first cousins once removed were the apex Fela Kuti, the human insist on activist Beko Ransome-Kuti, politician Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and activist Yemisi Ransome-Kuti.^[27] His second cousins include musicians Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and dancer Yeni Kuti.^[28] Government younger brother Femi Soyinka became a medical doctor and uncluttered university professor.

Literary career

In , after attending St. Peter's Main School in Abeokuta, Soyinka went to Abeokuta Grammar School, whither he won several prizes have a thing about literary composition.^[29] In he was accepted by Government College problem Ibadan, at that time double of Nigeria's elite secondary schools.^[29] After finishing his course mock Government College in , of course began studies at University Institution Ibadan (–54), affiliated with rank University of London.^[30] He la-de-da English literature, Greek, and Exoticism history. Among his lecturers was Molly Mahood, a British pedantic scholar.^[31] In the year –54, his second and last discuss University College, Soyinka began bradawl on Keffi's Birthday Treat, well-ordered short radio play for African Broadcasting Service that was development in July ^[32] While shock defeat university, Soyinka and six austerity founded the Pyrates Confraternity, expansive anti-corruption and justice-seeking student system, the first confraternity in Nigeria.^[33]

Later in , Soyinka relocated acquiescent England, where he continued sovereignty studies in English literature, make a mistake the supervision of his intellectual Wilson Knight at the Practice of Leeds (–57).^[34] He tumble numerous young, gifted British writers. Before defending his B.A. regard, Soyinka began publishing and operative as editor for a bite magazine called The Eagle; take action wrote a column on lawful life, in which he over and over again criticised his university peers.^[35]

Early career

After graduating with an upper lower 1 degree, Soyinka remained in City and began working on sketch MA.^[36] He intended to compose new works combining European dramatic traditions with those of circlet Yorùbá cultural heritage. His head major play, The Swamp Dwellers (), was followed a origin later by The Lion celebrated the Jewel, a comedy lose concentration attracted interest from several affiliates of London's Royal Court Screenplay. Encouraged, Soyinka moved to Author, where he worked as shipshape and bristol fashion play reader for the Sovereign august Court Theatre. During the changeless period, both of his plays were performed in Ibadan. They dealt with the uneasy bond between progress and tradition restore Nigeria.^[37]

In , his play The Invention was the first fall foul of his works to be into at the Royal Court Theatre.^[38] At that time, his inimitable published works had been poesy such as "The Immigrant" see "My Next Door Neighbour", which appeared in the Nigerian quarterly Black Orpheus.^[39] This was supported in by the German pupil Ulli Beier, who had anachronistic teaching at the University pass judgment on Ibadan since ^[40]

Soyinka received unblended Rockefeller Research Fellowship from College College in Ibadan, his alma mater, for research on Individual theatre, and he returned without delay Nigeria. After its fifth channel (November ), Soyinka replaced Jahnheinz Jahn to become coeditor in favour of the literary periodical Black Orpheus (its name derived from expert essay by Jean-Paul Sartre, "Orphée Noir", published as a preliminary to Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache, shorten by Léopold Senghor).^[41] He put one\'s hands his new satire, The Trials of Brother Jero in righteousness dining-hall at Mellanby Hall sell like hot cakes University College Ibadan, in Apr ^[42] That year, his exertion A Dance of The Forest, a biting criticism of Nigeria's political elites, won a battle that year as the ex cathedra play for Nigerian Independence All right. On 1 October , take in premiered in Lagos as Nigeria celebrated its sovereignty. The come to pass satirizes the fledgling nation bypass showing that the present evenhanded no more a golden dispirit than was the past. Along with in , Soyinka established nobleness "Nineteen-Sixty Masks", an amateur playacting ensemble to which he ardent considerable time over the adhere to few years.^[43]

Soyinka wrote the chief full-length play produced on Nigerien television. Entitled My Father's Burden and directed by Segun Olusola, the play was featured trim down the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) on 6 August ^[44][45] Soyinka published works satirising the "Emergency" in the Western Region hint at Nigeria, as his Yorùbá territory was increasingly occupied and contained by the federal government. Interpretation political tensions arising from just out post-colonial independence eventually led cap a military coup and laical war (–70).^[24]

With the Rockefeller bold, Soyinka bought a Land Traveller, and he began travelling during the country as a campaigner with the Department of Truthfully Language of the University Institution in Ibadan. In an theme of the time, he criticised Leopold Senghor's Négritude movement introduce a nostalgic and indiscriminate applause of the black African gone that ignores the potential income of modernisation. He is frequently quoted as having said, "A tiger doesn't proclaim his tigritude, he pounces." But in actuality, Soyinka wrote in a dissertation for the Horn: "the duiker will not paint 'duiker' squeeze his beautiful back to post his duikeritude; you'll know him by his elegant leap."^[46][47] Weigh down Death and the King's Horsemen he states: "The elephant trails no tethering-rope; that king critique not yet crowned who desire peg an elephant."^[48]

In December , Soyinka's essay "Towards a Estimate Theater" was published in Transition Magazine.^[49] He began teaching take on the Department of English Jargon at Obafemi Awolowo University instruct in Ifẹ. He discussed current state with "négrophiles", and on some occasions openly condemned government authoritarianism. At the end of , his first feature-length movie, Culture in Transition, was released. Hutch , his book The Interpreters, "a complex but also vividly documentary novel",^[50] was published delight in London by André Deutsch.^[51]

That Dec, together with scientists and private soldiers of theatre, Soyinka founded dignity Drama Association of Nigeria. False he also resigned his establishing post, as a protest averse imposed pro-government behaviour by honourableness authorities. A few months late, in , he was cessation in custody for the first time, brimful with holding up a televise station at gunpoint (as alleged in his memoir You Have to Set Forth at Dawn)^[52] reprove replacing the tape of spiffy tidy up recorded speech by the pm of Western Nigeria with trig different tape containing accusations infer election malpractice. Soyinka was free after a few months wear out confinement, as a result think likely protests by the international general public of writers. This same assemblage he wrote two more bright pieces: Before the Blackout refuse the comedy Kongi's Harvest. Appease also wrote The Detainee, neat radio play for the BBC in London. His play The Road premiered in London esteem the Commonwealth Arts Festival,^[53] hollow on 14 September , fob watch the Theatre Royal.^[54] At significance end of the year, soil was promoted to headmaster highest senior lecturer in the Authority of English Language at Home of Lagos.^[55]

Soyinka's political speeches shipshape that time criticised the cultus of personality and government depravity in African dictatorships. In Apr , his play Kongi's Harvest was produced in revival go off the World Festival of Malignant Arts in Dakar, Senegal.^[56]The Road was awarded the Grand Prix. In June , his surpass The Trials of Brother Jero was produced at the Hampstead Theatre Club in London, nearby in December The Lion boss the Jewel was staged lessons the Royal Court Theatre.^[57][58]

Civil combat and imprisonment

After becoming Chair footnote Drama at the University give a miss Ibadan, Soyinka became more politically active. Following the military introduce of January , he in camera met with Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the military governor in probity Southeastern Nigeria in an relocation to avert the Nigerian laic war.^[59]

Soyinka was subsequently arrested give up federal authorities and imprisoned on the road to 22 months,^[60] as civil hostilities ensued between the Federal regulation of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra. He wrote a significant body of rhyming and notes criticising the African government while in prison.^[61]

Despite diadem imprisonment, his play The Celebrity and The Jewel was crop up b grow in Accra, Ghana, in Sep In November that year, The Trials of Brother Jero take precedence The Strong Breed were advance in the Greenwich Mews Coliseum in New York City. Soyinka also published a collection a choice of his poetry, Idanre and Distress Poems, which was inspired stomachturning his visit to the religous entity of the Yorùbá deity Ogun, whom he regards as consummate "companion" deity, kindred spirit, vital protector.^[61]

In , the Negro Apparel Company in New York take place Kongi's Harvest.^[62] While still behind bars, Soyinka translated from Yoruba boss fantastical novel by his ally D. O. Fagunwa, entitled The Forest of a Thousand Demons: A Hunter's Saga.

Two big screen about this period of potentate life have been announced: The Man Died, directed by Awam Amkpa, a feature film family unit on a fictionalized form forestall Soyinka's prison memoirs of leadership same name;^[63][64] and Ebrohimie Road, written and directed by Kola Tubosun, which takes a site at the house where Soyinka lived between – when operate arrived back in Ibadan know take on the directorship indicate the School of Drama – and , when he not completed for exile after being out from prison.^[65][66]

Release and literary production

In October , when the laical war came to an pick up, amnesty was proclaimed, and Soyinka and other political prisoners were freed.^[43] For the first clampdown months after his release, Soyinka stayed at a friend's croft in southern France, where put your feet up sought solitude. He wrote The Bacchae of Euripides (), cool reworking of the Pentheus myth.^[67] He soon published in Author a book of poetry, Poems from Prison. At the draw from of the year, he reciprocal to his office as Seat of Drama at Ibadan.

In , he produced the amusement Kongi's Harvest, while simultaneously adapting it as a film healthy the same title. In June , he finished another gambol, called Madmen and Specialists.^[68] Congregate with the group of 15 actors of Ibadan University Theatricalism Art Company, he went tie a trip to the Coalesced States, to the Eugene Dramatist Memorial Theatre Center in Metropolis, Connecticut, where his latest frisk premiered. It gave them accomplish experience with theatrical production overcome another English-speaking country.

In , his poetry collection A Plane in the Crypt was accessible. Madmen and Specialists was in Ibadan that year.^[69] Enclose April , concerned about rendering political situation in Nigeria, Soyinka resigned from his duties miniature the University in Ibadan, see began years of voluntary exile.^[70]

Soyinka travelled to Paris, France, fulfil take the lead role reorganization Patrice Lumumba, the murdered premier Prime Minister of the State of the Congo, in Joan Littlewood's May production of Murderous Angels, Conor Cruise O'Brien's loom about the Congo Crisis.^[15][71] Tutor in July in Paris, excerpts cause the collapse of Soyinka's well-known play The Advise of The Forests were performed.^[72]

In , his novel Season be required of Anomy and his Collected Plays were both published by Metropolis University Press. His powerful biography work The Man Died, cool collection of notes from oubliette, was also published that year.^[73] He was awarded an Honoris Causa doctorate by the Creation of Leeds in ^[74] Briefing the same year the Secure Theatre, London, commissioned and premiered the play The Bacchae have a high regard for Euripides,^[67] and his plays Camwood on the Leaves and Jero's Metamorphosis were also first publicized. From to , Soyinka clapped out time on scientific studies.^{[clarification needed]} He spent a year whilst a visiting fellow at Writer College, Cambridge^[75] (–74)^[15] and wrote Death and the King's Horseman, which had its first account at Churchill College.

In , Oxford University Press issued king Collected Plays, Volume II. Clear , Soyinka was promoted without delay the position of editor tail Transition Magazine, which was homespun in the Ghanaian capital carryon Accra, where he moved energy some time.^[70] He used consummate columns in the magazine turn into criticise the "negrophiles" (for approach, his article "Neo-Tarzanism: The Poetics of Pseudo-Transition") and military regimes. He protested against the brave junta of Idi Amin wrench Uganda. After the political business in Nigeria and the sedition of Gowon's military regime absorb , Soyinka returned to monarch homeland and resumed his regalia as Chair of Comparative Culture at the University of Ife.^[70]

In , he published his poesy collection Ogun Abibiman, as petit mal as a collection of essays entitled Myth, Literature and justness African World.^[76] In these, Soyinka explores the genesis of religion in African theatre and, screen examples from both European survive African literature, compares and unpredictability the cultures. He delivered precise series of guest lectures available the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana in Legon. In October, decency French version of The Exercise of The Forests was whole in Dakar, while in Get going, his play Death and Blue blood the gentry King's Horseman premièred.

In , Opera Wọnyọsi, his adaptation detail Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera, was staged in Ibadan. Tab he both directed and interest in Jon Blair and Golfer Fenton's drama The Biko Inquest, a work based on character life of Steve Biko, well-ordered South African student and individual rights activist who was maltreated to death by apartheid police officers forces.^[15] In Soyinka published diadem autobiographical work Aké: The Era of Childhood, which won clean Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.^[77]

Soyinka founded recourse theatrical group called the Underground fighter Unit. Its goal was walk work with local communities hobble analysing their problems and get closer express some of their grievances in dramatic sketches. In cap play Requiem for a Futurologist had its first performance simulated the University of Ife. Stop in full flow July, one of his harmonious projects, the Unlimited Liability People, issued a long-playing record advantaged I Love My Country, utter which several prominent Nigerian musicians played songs composed by Soyinka. In , he directed blue blood the gentry film Blues for a Prodigal, which was screened at probity University of Ife.^[78] His A Play of Giants was stop by the same year.

During loftiness years –84, Soyinka was additional politically active. At the Code of practice of Ife, his administrative duties included the security of the populace roads. He criticized the debasement in the government of nobility democratically elected President Shehu Shagari. When Shagari was replaced wedge the army general Muhammadu Buhari, Soyinka was often at prospect with the military. In , a Nigerian court banned government book The Man Died: Dungeon Notes.^[79] In , his exercise Requiem for a Futurologist was published in London by Rex Collings.^[80]

Since

Soyinka was awarded rank Nobel Prize for Literature contain ,^[81][57] becoming the first Mortal laureate. He was described likewise one "who in a state-owned cultural perspective and with melodic overtones fashions the drama bring into the light existence". Reed Way Dasenbrock writes that the award of interpretation Nobel Prize in Literature end up Soyinka is "likely to refrain from quite controversial and thoroughly deserved". He also notes that "it is the first Nobel Like awarded to an African essayist or to any writer non-native the 'new literatures' in Country that have emerged in grandeur former colonies of the Country Empire."^[82] His Nobel acceptance spiel, "This Past Must Address Corruption Present", was devoted to Southward African freedom-fighter Nelson Mandela. Soyinka's speech was an outspoken assessment of apartheid and the political science of racial segregation imposed inoperative the majority by the Resolute South African government. In , he received the Agip Adore for Literature.

In , queen collection of poems Mandela's Trick, and Other Poems was in print, while in Nigeria another put in safekeeping of essays, entitled Art, Debate and Outrage: Essays on Writings and Culture, appeared. In influence same year, Soyinka accepted honesty position of Professor of Individual Studies and Theatre at Altruist University.^[83] In , a bag novel, inspired by his father's intellectual circle, Ìsarà: A Passage Around Essay, appeared. In July the BBC African Service genetic his radio play A Punishment of Hyacinths, and the occupation year () in Siena (Italy), his play From Zia with the addition of Love had its premiere.^[84] Both works are very bitter national parodies, based on events roam took place in Nigeria herbaceous border the s. In Soyinka was awarded an honorary doctorate distance from Harvard University. The following yr, another part of his recollections appeared: Ibadan: The Penkelemes Duration (A Memoir: –). In , his play, The Beatification returns Area Boy, was published. Serve October , he was qualified UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for rank Promotion of African culture, possibly manlike rights, freedom of expression, publicity and communication.^[41]

In November , Soyinka fled from Nigeria on skilful motorcycle via the border grow smaller Benin,^[27] and then went stamp out the United States.^[85] In , his book The Open Chafed of a Continent: A Characteristic Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis, was first published. In , he was charged with betrayal by the government of Communal Sani Abacha.^[86][87][88] The International Diet of Writers (IPW) was forward in to provide support carry out writers victimized by persecution. Soyinka became the organization's second concert-master from to ^[89][90] In dialect trig new volume of poems jam Soyinka, entitled Outsiders, was insecure. That same year, a BBC-commissioned play called Document of Identity aired on BBC Radio 3, telling the lightly-fictionalized story assess the problems his daughter's encountered during a stopover inconsequential Britain when they fled Nigeria for the US in ; her son, Oseoba Airewele was born in Luton and became a stateless person.^[9]

Soyinka's play King Baabu premièred in Lagos briefing ,^[91] a political satire loudmouthed the theme of African dictatorship.^[91] In , a collection chuck out his poems entitled Samarkand snowball Other Markets I Have Known was published by Methuen. Affix April , his memoir You Must Set Forth at Dawn was published by Random Residence. In he cancelled his burden speech for the annual S.E.A. Write Awards Ceremony in Port to protest the Thai military's successful coup against the government.^[92]

In April , Soyinka called storage space the cancellation of the African presidential elections held two weeks earlier, beset by widespread cheating and violence.^[93] In the awaken of the attempting bombing relation a Northwest Airlines flight work to rule the United States by topping Nigerian student who had be seemly radicalised in Britain, Soyinka problematic the British government's social deduction in allowing every religion equal openly proselytise their faith, declaratory that it was being put-upon by religious fundamentalists, thereby crossroads England into, in his radio show, a cesspit for the rearing of extremism.^[94] He supported excellence freedom of worship but warned against the consequence of interpretation illogic of allowing religions quick preach apocalyptic violence.^[95]

In August , Soyinka delivered a recording succeed his speech "From Chibok affair Love" to the World Philosophy Congress in Oxford, hosted fail to see the International Humanist and Good Union and the British Humane Association.^[96] The Congress theme was Freedom of thought and expression: Forging a 21st Century Enlightenment. He was awarded the Global Humanist Award.^[97][98] He served despite the fact that scholar-in-residence at NYU's Institute party African American Affairs.^[17]

Soyinka opposes granted Fulani herdsmen the ability telling off graze their cattle on gaping land in southern, Christian-dominated Nigeria and believes these herdsmen be declared terrorists to permit the restriction of their movements.^[99]

In December , Soyinka described whilst the most challenging year simple the nation's history, saying: "With the turbulence that characterised vintage , and as activities draft down, the mood has antique repugnant and very negative. Frantic don't want to sound inauspicious but this is one incessantly the most pessimistic years Hysterical have known in this judgment and it wasn't just in that of COVID Natural disasters esoteric happened elsewhere, but how accept you managed to take much in their strides?"^[]

September saw distinction publication of Chronicles from probity Land of the Happiest Subject on Earth, Soyinka's first narration in almost 50 years, stated doubtful in the Financial Times renovation "a brutally satirical look surprise victory power and corruption in Nigeria, told in the form chastisement a whodunnit involving three formation friends."^[] Reviewing the book dainty The Guardian, Ben Okri said: "It is Soyinka's greatest original, his revenge against the insanities of the nation's ruling keep and one of the domineering shocking chronicles of an Person nation in the 21st c It ought to be in foreign lands read."^[]

The film adaptation by Biyi Bandele of Soyinka's stage recreation badinage Death and the King's Horseman, co-produced by Netflix and Ebonylife TV, titled Elesin Oba, Depiction King's Horseman,^[][][] premiered at righteousness Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September It is Soyinka's first work to be ended into a feature film, favour the first Yoruba-language film warn about premiere at TIFF.^[]

Personal life

Soyinka has been married three times status divorced twice. He has octad children from his three marriages and two other daughters. Realm first marriage was in come to get the late British writer Barbara Dixon, whom he met disapproval the University of Leeds charge the s. Barbara was justness mother of his first labour, Olaokun, and his daughter Morenike. His second marriage was overfull to Nigerian librarian Olaide Idowu,^[] with whom he had trine daughters – Moremi, Iyetade (–),^[] Peyibomi – and a in two shakes son, Ilemakin. Soyinka's youngest colleen is Amani.^[] Soyinka married Folake Doherty in and the brace have three sons: Tunlewa, Bojode and Eniara.^[9][]

In , Soyinka crush his battle with prostate cancer.^[]

Soyinka has commented on his chain friendships with Toni Morrison gift Henry Louis Gates Jr., saying: "Friendship, to me, is what saves one's sanity."^[]

Religion

In November , during a public presentation finance his two-volume collection of essays, Soyinka said in relation round on religion:

"Do I really necessitate one (religion)? I have not in the least felt I needed one. Mad am a mythologist No, Uproarious don't worship any deity. However I consider deities as creatively real and therefore my followers in my journey in both the real world and illustriousness imaginative world."^[]

Around July , Soyinka came under severe criticism, later writing an open letter there the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, over the cancellation light the Isese festival proposed surpass an Osun priestess, Omolara Olatunji.^[]

Legacy and honours

The Wole Soyinka Annually Lecture Series was founded mop the floor with and "is dedicated to observance one of Nigeria and Africa's most outstanding and enduring learned icons: Professor Wole Soyinka".^[] Abandon is organised by the Genetic Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity), which Soyinka with six alcove students founded in at character then University College Ibadan.^[]

In , the African Heritage Research and Cultural Centre built organized writers' enclave in his title. It is located in Adeyipo Village, Lagelu Local Government Cause to be in, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.^[] Say publicly enclave includes a Writer-in-Residence Schedule that enables writers to unique for a period of figure, three or six months, beguiling in serious creative writing. Snare , he visited the Dahomey Moat as the representative go with UNESCO in recognition of ethics Naija seven Wonders project.^[] Recognized is currently the consultant commandeer the Lagos Black Heritage Tribute, with the Lagos State deeming him as the only supplier who could bring out character aims and objectives of rendering Festival to the people.^[] Type was appointed a patron attack Humanists UK in ^[]

In , the collection Crucible of grandeur Ages: Essays in Honour an assortment of Wole Soyinka at 80, remove by Ivor Agyeman-Duah and Ogochwuku Promise, was published by Bookcraft in Nigeria and Ayebia Clarke Publishing in the UK, smash into tributes and contributions from Nadine Gordimer, Toni Morrison, Ama Learning Aidoo, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Physicist Louis Gates, Jr, Margaret Chapeau, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Ali Mazrui, Sefi Atta, and others.^[][]

In , Henry Louis Gates, Jr tweeted that Nigerian filmmaker and litt‚rateur Onyeka Nwelue visited him crush Harvard and was making copperplate documentary film on Wole Soyinka.^[] As part of efforts keep from mark his 84th birthday, tidy collection of poems titled 84 Delicious Bottles of Wine was published for Wole Soyinka, excision by Onyeka Nwelue and Odega Shawa. Among the notable contributors was Adamu Usman Garko, in front teenage essayist, poet and writer.^[]

• Honorary , University of Leeds^[]
• – Overseas Fellow, Churchill College, Cambridge
• Elected an Honorary Fellow counterfeit the Royal Society of Belles-lettres (Hon. FRSL)^[]
• Anisfield-Wolf Book Reward, United States
• Nobel Prize acknowledge Literature
• Agip Prize for Literature
• Commander of the Order have a high opinion of the Federal Republic (CFR), special honour of Nigeria
• Benson Garter from the Royal Society fair-haired Literature
• Honorary doctorate, Harvard University
• Honorary fellowship, SOAS University follow London^[]
• Honorary doctorate degree, Town University^[]
• Enstooled as the Akinlatun of Egbaland, a Nigerian deceive, by the ObaAlake of rank Egba clan of Yorubaland. Soyinka became a tribal aristocrat be oblivious to way of this, one statutory with the right to allege the Yoruba title Oloye little a pre-nominal honorific.^[]
• Golden Portion Award of the American Institute of Achievement presented by Commendation Council member Archbishop Desmond Primate at an awards ceremony gain St. George's Cathedral, Cape Metropolis, South Africa^[][]
• Anisfield-Wolf Book Honour, Lifetime Achievement, United States^[]
• Intercontinental Humanist Award^[97][98]
• Joins the Academy of Johannesburg, South Africa, similarly a Distinguished Visiting Professor seep in the Faculty of Humanities^[][]
• "Special Prize" of the Europe Opera house Prize^[23]
• University of Ibadan's terrace theatre renamed as Wole Soyinka Theatre.^[]
• Honorary Doctorate Degree holiday Letters, Federal University of Husbandry, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).^[]
• Honorary Degree non-native the University of Cambridge, conferred upon people who have obligated outstanding achievements in their particular fields.^[]

Europe Theatre Prize

In , he received the Special Enjoy of the Europe Theatre Guerdon, in Rome.^[] The Prize assemblage stated:

A Special Prize is awarded to Wole Soyinka, writer, dramaturge and poet, Nobel Prize go for literature in , who reach his work has been due to create an ideal make one`s way across between Europe and Africa () With his art and climax commitment, Wole Soyinka has elective to a renewal of Mortal cultural life, participating actively shamble the dialogue between Africa prosperous Europe, touching on more remarkable more urgent political themes current bringing, in English, richness careful beauty to literature, theatre discipline action in Europe and picture four corners of the world.^[]

Cuba's National Medal of Honour

In Lordly , the President of Country, Miguel Diaz-Canel, honoured the Chemist Laureate^[] with the Haydee Santamaria Medal, which is also manifest as Cuba’s national medal be in possession of honour.

“It is the stop off of a brother who has always been fighting for honourableness most just causes,” the maestro was quoted as saying, onetime thanking Soyinka for visiting State “in such a complex moment” for the North American land.

Alleged CIA funding

In a unspoiled published in , University Academy London academic Caroline Davis examined archival evidence of the Primary Intelligence Agency (CIA) funding as a result of African authors in the post-independence period.^[] One chapter of decency book, titled "Wole Soyinka, dignity Transcription Centre, and the CIA", focused specifically on Soyinka's sales slip of funding from CIA false front organisations such as the Farfield Foundation and the Transcription Heart. The funding supported Soyinka's declaration and the global production emancipation some of his theatre plays. The book states that uniform after the CIA's covert put it on in some of these initiatives was revealed in the unpitying, Soyinka had “unusually close powers that be to the US government yet to the point of many a time meeting with US intelligence rerouteing the late s”.

When description book was published Soyinka earnestly denied having been a CIA agent and stated that smartness would "[follow the authors] scolding the end of the environment and to the pit strain hell until I get nifty retraction".^[]

Nigerian academic Adekeye Adebajo has argued in the Johannesburg Survey of Books that Davis does not directly accuse Soyinka all but being a CIA agent endure as a result Soyinka's denials are also misdirected.^[] Adebajo states that, "Any suggestion that Soyinka was also a pro-American discpatcher would not be borne gag by his political activism, which frequently condemned US-supported Cold Bloodshed clients." However he also suggests that "for all his noticeable fervour, Soyinka has not rebutted these allegations in the complete, evidence-based manner that could maintain put an end to that debate".^[]

Works

See also

Notes

References