Wole Soyinka Biography, Wole Soyinka Quotes, Age, Wole Soyinka Books, Wole Soyinka Poems, Wole Soyinka Education, and Wole Soyinka Personal Life can be accessed below...
Biography of Wole Soyinka.
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. He was born on July 13, 1934, in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was raised in an Anglican household by a school principal father and a teacher mother.
In 1957, Soyinka earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. In 1958, he earned a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Leeds.
Soyinka returned to Nigeria after completing his education to work as a teacher and journalist. Soon after, he became politically active, working for the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) and the Nigerian Youth Congress.
Soyinka’s first play, “A Dance of the Forests,” was performed to critical acclaim in Nigeria in 1960. His subsequent works include “The Road,” “The Lion and the Jewel,” and “Death and the King’s Horseman,” which is widely regarded as his masterwork.
The themes of power, corruption, and the struggle for independence and self-determination recur frequently in Soyinka’s plays. In 1986, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to him, making him the first African to receive the prestigious award. His work has been widely praised, and he was the first African to receive the prize.
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Throughout his career, Soyinka has been an outspoken opponent of corruption and violations of human rights in Nigeria and other African nations. Due to his political activism, he has been imprisoned multiple times, including during the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s.
Soyinka has remained a prolific writer despite his political and social activism, publishing poetry, essays, and plays throughout his career. He has also taught at the University of Ibadan, the University of Ife, and Emory University in the United States, among others.
Today, Soyinka is widely regarded as one of the greatest African authors of the 20th century, and he continues to have a significant impact on global literature and politics.
Wole Soyinka Biography, Wikipedia Profile
| Name | Professor Wole Soyinka |
| Ethnicity | Yoruba |
| Profession | Writer and activist |
| Date of birth | July 13, 1934 |
| Age | 89 years old in 2023 |
| State of Origin | Ogun State |
| Net Worth | Over $300, 000 |
Wole Soyinka Early life and education:
Soyinka was born into a Yoruba family in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. He attended Abeokuta Grammar School. Wole Soyinka later went to the University College of Ibadan, where he studied English literature, Greek, and Western history. He then proceeded to the University of Leeds, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and, later, a Doctorate of Letters.
Wole Soyinka Literary Career:
Soyinka’s literary career began with his play “The Swamp Dwellers,” which was produced in 1958. He has since written several plays, including “The Lion and the Jewel,” “Death and the King’s Horseman,” and “A Play of Giants.” Soyinka has also written poetry, essays, and novels. He is considered one of the most prominent writers of the 20th century.
Political Activism:
Soyinka has been politically active since his university days. In the 1960s, he was involved in the struggle for Nigerian independence and later became an outspoken critic of the military government that ruled Nigeria in the 1970s and 1980s. He was arrested and imprisoned several times for his activism and was forced into exile in 1994 after being accused of treason.
Awards and Honours:
Soyinka has received numerous awards and honours for his literary work and activism. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first African to receive the award. He has also been awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and the Prix Mondial Cino Del Duca.
Later Life:
Soyinka continues to write and lecture, and his works have been translated into many languages. He is a professor emeritus at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and has taught at several universities around the world. In 2014, he founded the Wole Soyinka Foundation to promote literature, culture, and the arts in Nigeria and Africa. He is also involved in environmental activism and serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme.
Personal Life:
Soyinka has been married three times and has five children. Wole Soyinka first marriage was to British writer Barbara Dixon, with whom he had two children. His second marriage was to Nigerian librarian Olaide Idowu, with whom he had another two children. Wole Soyinka current wife is Nigerian architect Folake Doherty, and they have one child together.
Soyinka has also been a strong advocate for preserving Nigerian cultural traditions, particularly those of the Yoruba people. He is known to participate in Yoruba festivals and ceremonies and has worked to promote the study and preservation of Yoruba art and culture.
Legacy:
Soyinka’s literary and political contributions have had a significant impact on Nigerian and African society. He has inspired generations of writers and activists and has been a vocal advocate for democracy, human rights, and social justice. His works continue to be studied and celebrated around the world, and his legacy as a Nobel laureate and cultural icon is secure.
Wole Soyinka Controversies:
Soyinka has also been involved in some controversies throughout his career. In 1965, he was arrested for allegedly stealing a radio transmitter in protest against the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service’s coverage of the general elections. He was found guilty and sentenced to prison, but was released after a few months.
In 1971, Soyinka was accused of plotting to overthrow the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. He was arrested and charged with treason but was acquitted after a high-profile trial.
In recent years, Soyinka has been critical of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the country’s security crisis, particularly the conflict with Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen. He has also been critical of the Nigerian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the authorities of mishandling the crisis.
In April 2023, he became entangled with the Obidient movement and the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, by calling them fascism. He was heavily criticised by many professors, who accused him of speaking out of ignorance and losing his memory.
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Wole Soyinka Literary Works:
Soyinka’s literary works have been translated into many languages and have been widely anthologized. Some of his most famous plays include “The Lion and the Jewel,” “Death and the King’s Horseman,” and “A Dance of the Forests.” His poetry collections include “Idanre and Other Poems” and “Samarkand and Other Markets I Have Known.” Soyinka’s novels include “The Interpreters,” “Season of Anomy,” and “Aké: The Years of Childhood.”
In addition to his literary works, Soyinka has also written numerous essays and critical works, including “Myth, Literature, and the African World,” “The Credo of Being and Nothingness,” and “The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis.” His works often explore themes of African identity, cultural traditions, and political resistance.
Wole Soyinka Books.
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet, essayist, and Nobel Laureate in Literature. He has written numerous books throughout his career, including:
- The Interpreters (1965)
- A Dance of the Forests (1963)
- Season of Anomy (1973)
- The Road (1965)
- Death and the King’s Horseman (1975)
- Aké: The Years of Childhood (1981)
- Isara: A Voyage Around “Essay” (1989)
- The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis (1996)
- You Must Set Forth at Dawn: A Memoir (2006)
- Of Africa (2012)
- Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth (2021)
Wole Soyinka QUOTES
- A tiger doesn’t proclaim his tigritude; he pounces.
- Under a dictatorship, a nation ceases to exist. All that remains is a fiefdom, a planet of slaves regimented by aliens from outer space.
- Books and all forms of writing are a terror to those who wish to suppress the truth.
- “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”
Wole Soyinka’s net worth
The net worth of Wole Soyinka is estimated to be over $300,000.
