As Professor Wole Soyinka, the celebrated Nigerian poet, playwright, and Nobel Laureate, marks his 90th birthday on July 13, 2024, we delve into this literary giant’s remarkable life and legacy. Here are 90 amazing facts about the legendary Wole Soyinka:
1. He was born Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Babatunde Soyinka on July 13, 1934, in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
2. His father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, was a prominent Anglican minister and headmaster, while his mother, Grace Eniola Soyinka, was a spirited shopkeeper and local activist.
3. His nickname for his mother was Wild Christian. Her real name was Grace Eniola Soyinka (née Jenkins-Harrison).
4. He studied at the University of Ibadan before moving to Leeds University College where he graduated with a degree in English in 1958.
5. Soyinka’s first major play, The Swamp Dwellers, was published when he was just 24 years old.
6. He visited the war-torn region of Biafra, witnessing its suffering firsthand and upon his return was arrested and detained for 22 months by the Nigerian authorities.
7. The Man Died published in 1972 is his first memoir. It is an account of his arrest and time in detention.
8. Two of his works, The Man Died: Prison Notes of Wole Soyinka and Poems from Prison, were written mostly on toilet paper and smuggled out during his imprisonment.
9. In 1986, Soyinka became the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.His memorable Nobel Lecture, which addressed the importance of the writer’s role in society, particularly in confronting injustice and oppression, continues to inspire till date.
10. Soyinka blends Greek mythology, Christian ideology, and Yoruba mythology in his works.
11. His commitment to justice and resilience amidst adversity resonates across generations.
12. Soyinka has been married three times. Barbara Dixon in 1958; Olaide Idowu in 1963 and Folake Doherty, his current wife, in 1989.
13. “Telephone Conversation” is considered by many to be one of his most popular poem.
14. Aside from drama and poetry, Soyinka is the author of three novels The Interpreters (1965), Season of Anomy (1973), and Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth (2021)
15. Soyinka resigned from the University of Ibadan because he was denied a professorship. The Appointments and Promotions Committee had written that “there is uneasiness about the academic content of his work”.
16. His critical work, Myth, Literature, and the African World published in 1976 cemented his academic bonafides. It is a muscular and critically acclaimed collection of essays in which he examines the role of the artist in the light of Yoruba mythology and symbolism.
17. Soyinka has been a professor of comparative literature since 1975.
18. His poetry collections, like Idanre and Other Poems, showcase his lyrical prowess.
19. His memoirs, including You Must Set Forth at Dawn, provide insights into his experiences.
20. Soyinka’s influence extends to film and theatre. His plays, like Death and the King’s Horseman, and now The Man Died have been adapted for the stage and screen.
21. As a founding member of the Pyrates Confraternity, he championed justice and social change.
22. Soyinka held up a radio station with a gun in 1965 to stop the announcement of election results in the Western region.
23. He actively supported the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during Nigeria’s struggle for democracy. He was also a member of the National Liberation Council of Nigeria, and Pro-National Conference Organisations (PRONACO).
24. In 2016, Soyinka tore up his green card in protest against Donald Trump’s election. Explaining his action, he told the Financial Times – “To have some redneck ride into power on the steed of racism was for me too much.”
25. Soyinka is related to the iconic musician Fela Kuti. They are cousins.
26.The Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) project celebrates his birthday annually with events throughout the month of July.
27. Soyinka has lectured at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and Yale, and was a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Franklin Humanities Institute of Duke University in 2008.
28. Born into a Christian home Soyinka is an atheist and has described himself in jest as a kaffir.
29. He pioneered modern Nigerian theatre by establishing The 1960 Masks and later in 1964, Orisun Theatre Company as well as several other theatre initiatives.
30. A sculptor and filmmaker, Soyinka’s artistic expression extends beyond the page.
31. A shadow architect, he designed his house in Abeokuta, Ogun State. And it is a beauty to behold.
32. An avid hunter, he hunts in his backyard mostly at night.
33. There is a massive amphitheatre a stone’s throw from his house. A Dance of the Forest was performed there the year he turned 80.
34.He has earned numerous awards besides the Nobel Prize, including the Benson Medal and the Commonwealth Poetry Prize.
35. Wole Soyinka translated Ògbójú Ọdẹ nínú Igbó Irúnmọlẹ̀ into English in 1968 as Forest of a Thousand Daemons: A Hunter’s Saga. In his translator’s note, Soyinka explains that ‘a thousand’ in English has “the sound and sense” of the number four hundred in Yorùbá.
36. Soyinka has edited journals like Black Orpheus and Transition as well as anthologies, like Poems of Black Africa in promotion of the works of African writers. He was co-editor of the literary journal Black Orpheus from 1960 to 1964
37. He holds honorary doctorates from over 50 universities around the world.
38. In company of his contemporaries, JP Clark and Chinua Achebe, he pleaded the case of Mamman Vasta before Military president, Ibrahim Babangida. Vatsa, a published poet, was still executed
39. Despite his international acclaim, Soyinka maintains strong ties to his Nigerian roots.
40. Soyinka’s writing is known for its sharp wit and insightful social commentary.
41. Soyinka founded a political party in 2010. It was called the Democratic Front for a People’s Federation and he was the chairman.
42. He composed significant portions of a poetry collection while imprisoned.
43. He Wrote A Dance of the Forests, considered one of his most recognised plays, for Nigeria’s independence celebrations in 1960.
44. He attended Government College in Ibadan, University of Ibadan and University of Leeds.
45. His works have been performed and celebrated worldwide.
46. Through the Wole Soyinka Foundation’s Residency programme he has mentored many young writers and facilitated cultural exchange projects like the yearly Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Project.
47. He comes from a distinguished family with a history of activism.
48.To mark his 90th birthday, the federal government of Nigeria renamed the National Theatre in his honour. It is now known as The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
49. In his tribute, President Tinubu praised Soyinka as a “national treasure and global icon” for his contributions to Nigeria’s literary and cultural scene.
50. Wole Soyinka revealed in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer for which he was successfully treated.
51. He has played a key role in the cultural renaissance of Africa by celebrating African traditions, myths, and languages, while also critiquing colonialism and neocolonialism’s negative impacts on African culture.
Photo credit: Victor Ehikhamenor52. He is considered one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th and 21st centuries.
53. Soyinka declared that the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is unfit to lead the country due to the conduct of his supporters, regarded as Obidients during the 2023 general elections.
54. He has described the Obiedients as members of a fascist horde.
55. The University of Abuja has instituted the Centre for Wole Soyinka Studies in his honour.
56. Countless books have been written on his works including, Ojaide, Tanure, The Poetry of Wole Soyinka. – Lagos : Malthouse Press, 1994; Jeyifo, Biodun, Wole Soyinka : Politics, Poetics, Postcolonialism. – New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005 and a host of others.
57. He has written 12 major essays on Nigeria in his Intervention series. The latest is Baiting Igbophobia: The Sunny Igboanugo Thesis.
58. Soyinka was appointed the first Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) by former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd).
59. Soyinka narrowly escaped assassination orchestrated by former head of state Sani Abacha in 1994 before being sentenced to death in absentia in 1997.
60. In 1960, he was awarded a Rockefeller bursary and returned to Nigeria to study African drama.
61. Considered Nigeria’s unofficial ombudsman, he is known for his strong stance against authoritarianism and unwavering support for Nigerian democracy.
62. The Lion and the Jewel, a light and amusing comedy renowned for its complex themes and allegorical structure, is one of Soyinka’s most famous plays.
63. He helped found Radio Kudirat during NADECO’s fight for democracy and was a constant feature on the station.
64. The Royal Academy of Morocco in collaboration with the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), honoured Wole Soyinka on the occasion of his 90th birthday on July 9 in Rabat. At the event, the World Organisation of Writers (WOW) presented him with a Gold Medal “for his contribution to the development of world lliterature
65. He has authored over 20 plays, including the famous and critically Death and the King’s Horseman and Kongi’s Harvest.
66.Wole Soyinka was a vocal advocate for Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. He used his platform to raise awareness about apartheid in South Africa and Mandela’s imprisonment.
67. A notable poet, he has published several poetry collections including Idanre and Other Poems and A Shuttle in the Crypt.
68. He delivered the prestigious Reith Lectures in 2004, later published as “Climate of Fear.”
69. He is known for his satirical view of modern West African society, using humour to highlight issues people are afraid to say out loud out of fear As he did in the prescient play The Trials of Brother Jero.
70. His plays often use symbolism and flashbacks to enhance dramatic structure.
71. Soyinka is celebrated for his precise command of both language and poetic forms. In fact, many consider him to be more fluent in English than most native speakers of the English language.
72. He is a sought-after lecturer and speaker at global forums
73. He is as fluent in Yoruba, his heritage language, as he is in English, and also speaks French well.
74. He authored a series of autobiographies detailing his life and experiences including Aké : the Years of Childhood and You Must Set Forth at Dawn.
75. He spent periods in exile due to his political activism to the point where he had been accused of working with the Biafran rebels and was threatened with permanent silence.
76. His works have been translated into multiple languages, giving not just Nigerians but also other parts of Africa the chance to read his work and be inspired enough to take a stand and be the voice that makes a better future for their countries.
77. He has been consistently praised by critics and scholars worldwide for his unique and ‘controversial’ ways of thinking especially with important issues, as well as his boldness in the things he wants to say and his beliefs.
78. He Inspires generations of writers and activists with his life story and the works he has put out with stories reflecting real life issues being faced, motivating them to also involve themselves and in turn strive for the betterment of their nation.
79. Soyinka is passionate about governance and development in Africa, emphasising the need to reverse the continent’s brain drain and critically assessing China’s role as a development partner. Through his civic engagement and advocacy, he consistently addresses important issues and promotes positive change in Nigeria and across Africa.
80. He is involved in various humanitarian and charitable activities like his engagement with UNESCO and other international organisations.
81. Several awards have been endowed in his honour including the Wole Soyinka Prize for Investigative Journalism and Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature.
82. He is considered a leading intellectual and thought leader in Africa with thought-provoking poetry, literature pieces and films concerning the struggle for justice and freedom of opinion and speech as well as the need for Africans to celebrate the beauty in the continent’s diversity instead of antagonising and fighting against it.
83. His more recent books have consistently been published by Ibadan-based Bookcraft. The publisher was his former student.
84. His University of Ibadan abode is now a subject of a documentary, Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory helmed by Kola Tubosun
85. Soyinka worked as a playreader at the Royal Court Theatre in London. This experience was influential in his early career, exposing him to different theatrical trends in Europe.
86. His literary works provide valuable insights into the historical context of Nigeria in several ways:His plays such as “Kongi’s Harvest” (1967) and “Death and the King’s Horseman” (1975) reveal his disregard for African authoritarian leadership.
87. Wole Soyinka has published collections that explore diverse themes and styles. His plays, for instance, blend traditional Yoruba folk-drama with European dramatic forms, providing both spectacle and penetrating social satire.
88. He is a filmmaker known for Kongi’s Harvest (1970) but many of his works have been adapted to film by other filmmakers including Biyi Bandele for Death and the King’s Horseman and Awam Akpa for The Man Died.
89. He is also a musician who is responsible for not only composing the songs in his plays, but he plays the saxophone. One of his most popular song is Etike Revo Wetin better known as “I love my country I no go lie” performed by Tunji Oyelana.
90. Even at 90, Wole Soyinka whose famous quote is “the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny” continues to write and live out the essence of what the Swedish Academy described as one “who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence.”
